Starship Flight 14 Passes Key Test Ahead of Orbital Launch

SpaceX completed a wet dress rehearsal for Starship Flight 14 on September 24, setting up a first orbital attempt as early as September 28. The flight plan calls for Ship 41 to spend nearly 10 hours in space and complete about six orbits at 275 km. Google also confirmed that its first orbital AI test satellite will launch on Transporter-18 on October 1.

SpaceX’s Flight 14 wet dress rehearsal involved fueling Booster 21 and Ship 41 and running countdown procedures without ignition. The company still awaits an FAA license before the 407-foot vehicle can attempt its first orbital mission. Unlike the previous 13 suborbital flights, Ship 41 is to conduct an insertion burn about 25 minutes after liftoff, then spend nearly 10 hours making roughly six circuits at about 275 km. A controlled deorbit and reentry would be newly demonstrated.

Google’s Project Suncatcher MVP, a refrigerator-sized satellite with four Trillium Tensor Processing Units, is set to launch on Transporter-18 on October 1. It is intended to test burst Gemini model inference in low Earth orbit. Meanwhile, Starlink’s cataloged totals are 12,962 launched, 11,135 in orbit, and 11,121 operational.

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