Starship Flight 14 - Scheduled Launch Sept. 28, 2026, @ 8:15 a.m. EDT

bennor

Since they’re rolling booster 21 to the pad for static fire ahead of flight 14, might as well start a dedicated thread for it.

SpaceX rolls Flight 14’s Booster 21 to Pad 2

bennor

Static fire of booster 21 watch today:

bennor

Today’s static fire test apparently scrubbed. Booster transport stand rolled back to the launch stand.

bennor

Static fire test second attempt possible today.

bennor

Static fire on booster 21!

MacLeech

Time to start posting the checklist…
https://nextspaceflight.com/starship/

bennor

On a side note. Apparently a Raptor 3 Sea Level mockup arriving at the McGregor test site for fit checks.

bennor

From Marcus House.

SpaceX is closing in on Starship Flight 14, with Booster 21 and Ship 41 completing major testing ahead of what could be Starship’s first full orbital flight. New FAA documents have also revealed fascinating Starship reentry and landing options, while Ship 42 is already testing for Flight 15. We also dive into the spectacular Falcon Heavy launch of NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, Blue Origin’s new Mars communications plans, major New Glenn developments, Rocket Lab’s Neutron progress, and another busy week of launches around the world.

bennor

MacLeech

FAA notice has been posted, sunrise in Texas on the 18th or 19th.
https://www.fly.faa.gov/adv/adv_spt?utm_source=Next_Spaceflight&utm_medium=mobile_app

checklist has another checkmark
https://nextspaceflight.com/starship/

bennor

Updated Ops flight plan: https://www.fly.faa.gov/adv/adv_spt

Starship now scheduled for next Tuesday, Sept. 22nd 1215Z-1414Z with a backup on the 23rd at the same time.

ATCSCC ADVZY 056 DCC 09/14/2026 OPERATIONS PLAN

SPACEX STARSHIP FLT-14, STARBASE, TX
PRIMARY: 09/22/26 1215Z-1414Z
BACKUP: 09/23/26 1215Z-1414Z

bennor

https://www.spacex.com/launches/starship-flight-14

Countdown
All Times Approximate

Hr/Min/Sec - Event
00:50:00 - SpaceX Flight Director conducts poll and verifies GO for propellant load
00:36:33 - Booster LOX (liquid oxygen) load underway
00:35:00 - Booster fuel (liquid methane) load underway
00:34:13 - Ship LOX load underway
00:34:11 - Ship fuel load underway
00:21:40 - Raptor begins engine chill on booster and ship
00:02:50 - Booster propellant load complete
00:02:10 - Ship propellant load complete
00:00:30 - SpaceX flight director verifies GO for launch
00:00:17 - Flame diverter activation
00:00:03 - Booster engine startup command
00:00:00 - Excitement guaranteed

FLIGHT TIMELINE
All Times Approximate

Hr/Min/Sec - Event
00:00:00 - Liftoff
00:00:58 - Max Q (moment of peak aerodynamic stress on the rocket)
00:02:20 - Super Heavy MECO (most engines cut off)
00:02:22 - Hot-staging (Starship Raptor ignition and stage separation)
00:02:27 - Super Heavy boostback burn start
00:03:07 - Super Heavy boostback burn shutdown
00:06:35 - Super Heavy landing burn start
00:07:01 - Super Heavy landing burn shutdown
00:08:11 - Starship engine cutoff
00:25:28 - Starship orbital insertion burn start
00:25:47 - Starship orbital insertion burn shutdown
00:34:18 - Payload deploy start
01:04:50 - Payload deploy complete
08:52:18 - Deorbit burn start
08:52:29 - Deorbit burn shutdown
09:28:52 - Starship entry
09:47:30 - Starship is transonic
09:48:07 - Starship is subsonic
09:50:11 - Landing burn start
09:50:13 - Landing flip
09:50:21 - Landing burn 3 to 2 engines
09:50:22 - Landing burn 2 to 1 engine
09:50:30 - An exciting landing!

https://www.spacex.com/updates#orbital-starship

Initial orbit design

MacLeech

https://www.spacex.com/launches/starship-flight-14

This will also mark the first time we plan to deploy Starlink V3 satellites into the constellation, delivering a payload that will dramatically expand connectivity speeds and reliability around the world.

Starship’s initial orbital mission is expected to fly at an altitude approximately 275 km above Earth and complete approximately six orbits around the planet over the course of a nearly 10-hour flight, with splashdown targeted in the Pacific Ocean to the west of Chile.
…
Starship will deliver 26 Starlink V3 satellites to orbit for the first time, which aim to greatly expand the network’s capacity and user speeds. Each Starlink V3 satellite will add 1 Tbps of capacity to the constellation, for a total of 26 Tbps of capacity added on this mission alone. That’s _10x the capacity compared to a single launch of V2 mini Starlink satellites on Falcon 9.

bennor

Ellie in Space
Starship Flight 14:
-Morning launch (75 min. window opens at 7:15am CT)
-Will be the first Starship launch to go orbital!
-No booster or ship catch.
-Ship will orbit the Earth about 6 times over the course of nearly 10 hours!
-Ship will splashdown off coast of Chile in the Pacific Ocean, not the Indian Ocean
-Starship will deploy 26 Starlink V3 satellites that will be operational!

1st NOTAMS for reentry issued:

bennor

SpaceX: Now targeting to launch Starship Flight 14 as early as Monday, September 28, pending regulatory approval

bennor

SpaceX conducts a Wet Dress Rehearsal on the Flight 14 full stack at Pad 2.

Ship 41 has performed single-engine and six-engine static fires.

bennor

Doubt.

This is super provisional!

Starship Flight 15 - NET October 19
Starship Flight 16 (Starlink 30-1) - KSC 39A - NET October 30.

You can bet those dates will slip, but it shows some of SpaceX’s forward planning.