SpaceX prepares Starship Flight 14 for first orbital V3 test
SpaceX is set to launch Starship Flight 14 on September 28, marking the third flight of the V3 vehicle and the fourteenth overall for the rocket. The 75-minute launch window opens at 7:15 a.m. CDT from Pad 2 at Starbase in Texas. The mission is expected to last nearly 10 hours, with Ship 41 planned to splash down in the Pacific Ocean off Chile, and SpaceX will stream the flight on X.
Flight 14 will be the third outing for SpaceX's V3 Starship and the fourteenth for the rocket overall. Liftoff is scheduled from Pad 2 at Starbase, Texas, within a 75-minute window beginning at 7:15 a.m. CDT on September 28.
The vehicle's upper stage, Ship 41, is expected to spend more than eight hours in orbit before splashing down in the Pacific west of Chile. SpaceX plans to webcast the roughly 10-hour mission on X, starting about 30 minutes before launch, though timelines may shift because this is V3's first orbital test.
If successful, Flight 14 could shape confidence in Starship's V3 design and orbital ambitions, potentially influencing commercial launch markets and future missions. People near launch or splashdown areas may follow airspace or maritime notices, while space enthusiasts worldwide can watch via livestream. Its outcome may affect timelines for heavy-lift transportation, though one test cannot determine the program's long-term societal benefits or risks.