GoKawiilSpaceX sets September 28 for Starship's first orbital test with live Starlink V3 satellites
SpaceX is targeting September 28 at 8:15AM Eastern for Starship's 14th flight, pending regulatory approval, after pushing the date back from September 22. Unlike prior suborbital tests, this flight will send Starship into orbit for six loops around Earth over 10 hours and deploy 26 operational Starlink V3 satellites into the constellation. The Super Heavy booster will splash down in the Gulf of Mexico, while the upper stage will later be deorbited into the Pacific.
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This marks Starship's transition from suborbital demonstration flights to an actual working mission, a key milestone toward proving the vehicle can reliably deliver payloads and support reuse. Successfully deploying functional Starlink V3 satellites, which offer dramatically higher bandwidth than earlier versions, would validate Starship's role in scaling SpaceX's satellite internet business and future missions.
- Starship's 14th flight will be its first full orbital test.
- 26 operational Starlink V3 satellites will be deployed for real customer use.
- Booster splashes down in the Gulf of Mexico; no tower catch planned this time.
Starlink Standard Kit — As SpaceX continues expanding its satellite constellation with missions like Starship Flight 14, the Starlink Standard Kit lets you actually tap into that growing network for high-speed internet almost anywhere. It's a tangible way to experience the real-world benefit of the satellites these rockets are delivering into orbit. Perfect for space enthusiasts who want more than just to watch the launches from afar.
See Starlink Standard Kit on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: engadget.com — Mariella Moon, 2026-09-19
Published there as: “SpaceX targets September 28 for Starship's first orbital flight”
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