Starship’s Next Leap: SpaceX Aims for Orbit and Its First Satellite Delivery
Flight 14 is set for Monday morning at Starbase. This time, the milestone is what Starship can do after it reaches space.
September 27, 2026 — SpaceX is targeting Monday, September 28, at 5:15 a.m. Pacific / 7:15 a.m. Central for Starship Flight 14. The company lists a 75-minute launch window from Pad 2 at Starbase, Texas. As with any test flight, the schedule can change. Launches
Starship has already produced spectacular launches. Monday’s flight is aimed at a more consequential question: Can it enter a stable Earth orbit and deliver satellites there? Flight 14 is planned to carry 26 Starlink V3 satellites, making it Starship’s first attempt to place a payload into orbit. The planned mission would keep the ship in space for roughly ten hours before a targeted Pacific Ocean splashdown. Starship Flight 14 (Next SpaceFlight)
That would mark a shift for the program. Starship’s earlier flights have tested launch, separation, engine performance, payload deployment demonstrations and the punishing trip back through the atmosphere. On Flight 12, SpaceX debuted its upgraded Starship and Super Heavy vehicles, Raptor 3 engines and Pad 2. The company also deployed modified Starlink satellites to photograph the ship in space. Flight 14 would put an operational delivery task at the center of the test. Starship’s Twelfth Flight Test
What to watch after liftoff
The opening minutes will still be dramatic. Super Heavy must carry the fully fueled vehicle off the pad and through the thickest part of the atmosphere. Starship’s engines then ignite as the two stages separate. The booster is expected to perform its return maneuvers and attempt a controlled landing burn toward an offshore point in the Gulf; SpaceX is not planning a tower catch on this flight. Next Spaceflight
The ship’s work continues long after the booster’s flight ends. Watch for confirmation of orbital insertion, followed by the deployment of the Starlink satellites. Those are the events that would distinguish this mission from Starship’s earlier suborbital tests. The planned extended flight and eventual reentry would then give SpaceX another opportunity to gather data on how the vehicle performs in space and survives its return. Starship Flight 14
Starship is being developed as a reusable system for moving large amounts of cargo and, eventually, people to Earth orbit, the Moon and Mars. Reaching orbit with a payload will not, by itself, prove that the system can be rapidly reused or carry crews. It would prove something essential first: that the giant rocket can begin doing the transportation job it was built to do. Starship
How to watch: Check SpaceX’s launch page for the live broadcast and the latest launch time. SpaceX currently lists the Flight 14 window as 12:15–13:30 UTC on September 28. Launches
About The Author
