SpaceX to launch Starship Flight 14 on September 28 to deliver Starlink satellites to orbit

SpaceX is preparing to launch its Starship rocket on its first orbital test flight from its Starbase facility in southern Texas on Monday, September 28, 2026. The mission, designated Flight 14, will carry 26 Starlink V3 satellites into low-Earth orbit. The rocket will complete six orbits around Earth before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean. This flight is critical for NASA's Artemis program, which plans to use Starship to land astronauts on the Moon. Previous Starship tests were suborbital, and this will be the first time the rocket attempts to reach orbit with operational payloads.