Starship flight 14
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| Mission type | Starlink deployment |
|---|---|
| Operator | SpaceX |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Starship Ship 41 |
| Spacecraft type | Starship (Block 3) |
| Manufacturer | SpaceX |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | September 28, 2026, 12:46:00 UTC (7:46:00 CDT)[1] |
| Rocket | Super Heavy (Block 3, B21) |
| Launch site | Starbase, OLP-2 |
| End of mission | |
| Landing date | September 28, 2026 12:56:00 UTC (7:56:00 CDT) (Super Heavy) |
| Landing site |
|
| Payload | |
| Starlink Group 31-1 (26 Starlink V3 satellites, including 3 equipped with cameras) | |
Starship flight 14 was the fourteenth launch and the first operational flight of the SpaceX Starship launch system. Building on the preceding flight-test campaign, the mission marked a significant expansion of Starship's objectives, successfully entering a sustained orbital trajectory and completing the first operational Starlink deployment.[3] The historic flight broke several records including the longest duration Starship had been in space to date, and most powerful launch vehicle to reach orbit.
Background
[edit]Flight 14 forms part of SpaceX's iterative development campaign for Starship, in which successive vehicles have been used to test increasingly complete portions of the launch system's intended mission profile. Compared with the preceding flights, Flight 14 has extended the program from predominantly developmental flight testing toward operational payload deployment and sustained orbital operations.
Vehicle testing ahead of launch
[edit]Booster 21
[edit]Booster 21 completed cryogenic proof testing at Massey's Test Site between July 18 and 20, 2026, after which it was moved to Mega Bay 1 in preparation for its static-fire campaign.[4]
By the third week of August, the booster remained in Mega Bay 1 while SpaceX continued testing Ship 41. The extended qualification campaign provided SpaceX additional time to evaluate the booster following the landing-burn issue encountered during Flight 13.[5]
On August 28, Booster 21 successfully completed a full-duration static-fire test, clearing another major pre-flight milestone in its qualification campaign.[6]
Ship 41
[edit]Ship 41 completed cryogenic proof testing at Massey's Test Site on June 29, 2026. It returned to the test site on August 18 to begin its engine-test campaign.[5]
On August 19, Ship 41 conducted a single-engine static fire intended to simulate a deorbit burn. Two days later, on August 21, it completed a full-duration, approximately 60-second static fire involving all six Raptor engines, completing one of the principal propulsion tests required ahead of flight.[5][7][8]
Mission profile
[edit]Flight 14 began on a trajectory broadly similar to those flown on the previous two Starship missions, while introducing several new mission objectives. Following stage separation, Super Heavy performed a boostback and landing sequence ending with a successful controlled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.[9]
The mission represents a substantial progression from the preceding flights. Ship 41 performed an orbital-insertion burn, placing Starship into a sustained orbit for the first time. The spacecraft then deployed 26 operational Starlink V3 satellites as Starlink Group 31-1, marking Starship's first deployment of operational payloads.[9]
Three satellites in the group carried cameras positioned to image Ship 41's heat shield while the spacecraft was in orbit.[9]
After approximately two hours in orbit, the mission profile was shortened to have an early splashdown. Ship 41 performed its deorbit burn approximately six and a half hours earlier than planned, and began reentry into Earth's atmosphere. The spacecraft then performed a controlled descent, landing flip, and landing burn and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean.[9] Successful completion of the planned profile demonstrated several capabilities required for later operational Starship missions, including orbital insertion, payload deployment, extended flight in orbit, controlled deorbit, and atmospheric reentry.
Flight timeline
[edit]| Time | Event | September 28 |
|---|---|---|
| −00:50:00 | SpaceX flight director conducts poll and verifies GO for propellant load | Success |
| −00:36:33 | Booster LOX (liquid oxygen) load underway | Success |
| −00:35:00 | Booster fuel (liquid methane) load underway | Success |
| −00:34:13 | Ship LOX load underway | Success |
| −00:34:11 | Ship fuel load underway | Success |
| −00:21:40 | Raptor engine chill begins on booster and ship | Success |
| −00:02:50 | Booster propellant load complete | Success |
| −00:02:10 | Ship propellant load complete | Success |
| −00:00:30 | SpaceX flight director verifies GO for launch | Success |
| −00:00:17 | Flame diverter activation | Success |
| −00:00:03 | Booster engine startup command | Success |
| 00:00:00 | Liftoff at 2026-09-28 12:46:00 UTC (7:46:00 CDT) | Success |
| +00:00:58 | Max Q (moment of peak aerodynamic stress on the rocket) | Success |
| +00:02:20 | Super Heavy MECO (most engines cut off) | Success |
| +00:02:22 | Hot-staging (Starship Raptor ignition and stage separation) | Success |
| +00:02:27 | Super Heavy boostback burn start | Partial success 26 of 28 engines relit[citation needed] |
| +00:03:07 | Super Heavy boostback burn shutdown | Success |
| +00:06:35 | Super Heavy landing burn start | Partial success 11 of 13 engines relit[citation needed] |
| +00:07:01 | Super Heavy landing burn shutdown | Success |
| +00:08:11 | Starship engine cutoff | Partial success 1 Raptor Vacuum failed on ascent[citation needed] |
| +00:25:28 | Starship orbital insertion burn start | Success |
| +00:25:47 | Starship orbital insertion burn shutdown | Success |
| +00:34:18 | Payload deploy start | Success |
| +01:04:50 | Payload deploy complete | Success |
| +02:12:00 | Deorbit burn start | Success |
| +02:12:11 | Deorbit burn shutdown | Success |
| +02:28:52 | Starship entry | Success |
| +02:47:30 | Starship is transonic | Success |
| +02:48:07 | Starship is subsonic | Success |
| +02:50:11 | Landing burn start | Success |
| +02:50:13 | Landing flip | Success |
| +03:08:20 | Landing burn 3 to 2 engines | Success |
| +03:08:26 | Landing burn 2 to 1 engine | Success |
| +03:08:30 | Splashdown | Success |
| Source: SpaceX[9] | ||
References
[edit]- ↑ Foust, Jeff. "SpaceX scales back plans for next Starship launch". SpaceNews. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
- ↑ "Starship Flight 14". SpaceX. Retrieved September 15, 2026.
- ↑ "Starship Flight 14 | Starship-Super Heavy v3". Next Spaceflight. Retrieved August 4, 2026.
- ↑ "Starship Ship Catch Cleared: Flight 14 to Attempt First Orbital Return to Tower". Tech Times. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Ship 41 Completes Engine Testing Ahead of Flight 14". NASASpaceflight. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
- ↑ Wall, Mike (August 29, 2026). "SpaceX test-fires Starship Super Heavy booster ahead of critical Flight 14 (video)". Space.com. Retrieved August 30, 2026.
- ↑ "Friends of NASA: SpaceX Starship Six-Engine Static Fire Pre-flight Test#14". Friends of NASA. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
- ↑ "Flight 14 (and Gigabay) Milestones Shaping Up - Starbase Summary". YouTube. NASASpaceflight. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Starship Flight 14". SpaceX. September 15, 2026. Retrieved September 15, 2026.