Starship flight test 14
Rocket flight test
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Starship flight test 14 is the upcoming fourteenth flight test of the SpaceX Starship launch system, and the vehicle's first attempt at reaching an orbital trajectory.[3]
| Mission type | Flight test |
|---|---|
| Operator | SpaceX |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Starship Ship 41 |
| Spacecraft type | Starship (Block 3) |
| Manufacturer | SpaceX |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | NET September 18, 2026[1] |
| Rocket | Super Heavy (Block 3, B21) |
| Launch site | Starbase, OLP-2 |
| End of mission | |
| Landing site |
|
| Payload | |
| ~20 operational Starlink V3 satellites | |
Background
Between the Flight 12 and Flight 14 campaigns, SpaceX upgraded Orbital Launch Pad 2 with additional propellant storage and pumps, and refurbished the Mechazilla tower arms, while the older Orbital Launch Pad 1 is separately being rebuilt with similar upgrades.[4]
SpaceX is developing a dedicated Starship static fire stand at Kennedy Space Center, informally referred to as "Project Ignition," to support testing of Starship vehicles in Florida.[4]
Vehicle testing ahead of launch
Booster 21
Booster 21 completed cryogenic proof testing at Massey's Test Site between July 18 and 20, 2026, then was staged in Mega Bay 1 to await its static fire campaign.[5] As of the third week of August it remained there while SpaceX conducted Ship 41's testing; SpaceX appeared to be taking extra time to qualify the booster so as to avoid repeating the landing-burn issue seen on Flight 13.[6] On August 28, Booster 21 performed a successful full duration static fire.[7]
Ship 41
Ship 41 completed cryogenic proof testing at Massey's Test Site on June 29, 2026. It then rolled back out on August 18, 2026, to begin its engine test campaign.[6] It completed a single-engine static fire simulating a deorbit burn on August 19, followed by a full-duration, 60-second, six-engine static fire on August 21.[6][8][9] Ship 41 was then expected to return to Mega Bay 2 for final flight preparations.[6] If the pace of prior campaigns holds, Flight 14 could launch in the early-to-mid September window once Booster 21 completes its static fire and the stack clears FAA review.[10][11]
Payload
Flight 14 is expected to carry roughly 20 Starlink V3 satellites bound for operational service, building on Flight 13's brief on-orbit demonstration of the same satellite generation.[12] Starlink V3 satellites are large, flat spacecraft with laser inter-satellite links and expansive solar arrays, intended to replace SpaceX's current Starlink constellation; they are currently too large for any other rocket in SpaceX's fleet to carry, but Starship has the capacity to carry large commercial payloads like these even ahead of full reusability.[12][13]