SpaceX Prepares Starship for First Operational Starlink Mission
The week of September 20 to 27 recorded four successful launches. SpaceX stacked Starship and Super Heavy for Flight 14, planned for September 28, which is set to carry the first Starlink batch launched by Starship. China launched two satellite batches, Rocket Lab orbited a StriX radar satellite, and a Falcon 9 flew a classified Space Force payload.
SpaceX mated a Starship upper stage to a Super Heavy booster at Starbase on September 23, setting up Flight 14. The launch is targeted for September 28 at 12:15 UTC. Its payload, Starlink Group 31-1, is intended to be the first operational Starlink batch carried by Starship. Earlier test flights demonstrated booster catch, orbital insertion, and controlled reentry.
During September 20–27, four launches all succeeded: two from China, one from SpaceX, and one from Rocket Lab. China orbited Yaogan 40 Group 04 and Xingwang Digui Group 23; Rocket Lab launched a StriX radar satellite; a Falcon 9 carried the classified USSF-385. The public catalog grew by 109 objects. Starlink now has 11,135 satellites in orbit, with 11,121 operational.
If Flight 14 succeeds, Starship may begin routine Starlink deployment, potentially expanding broadband capacity and launch cadence. That could affect remote internet users, rival satellite operators, and launch providers. It may also increase orbital traffic and night-sky visibility concerns. Success could strengthen confidence in Starship for future commercial and government missions, while failure could delay operational use and shift near-term attention back to Falcon 9.