SpaceX delays Starship #14 again
September 18, 2026

By Chris Forrester



SpaceX has again delayed its planned launch of its massive Starship for a test flight #14 from September 22nd to September 28th at the earliest. There is no information as to the cause of the delay.

The 2-hour 24-minute launch window now opens at 07.23 Texas time on September 28th. The Federal Aviation Authority has issued its NOTAM (notice to airmen) giving a warning as to the flight.


This will be the first Starship flight to go to orbit, and will also be Starship’s first revenue generating flight with the first deployment of 26 next-gen V3 Starlink satellites into the constellation.

“By going to orbit, the next phase of developing Starship to be fully and rapidly reusable can begin,” SpaceX wrote in a Flight 14 mission description. “This will also mark the first time we plan to deploy Starlink V3 satellites into the constellation, delivering a payload that will dramatically expand connectivity speeds and reliability around the world,” the company added.

Three of the Starlink satellites being carried on Flight 14 have been outfitted with cameras and will photograph the heat shield on Starship’s upper stage after deployment. SpaceX will use these images to study and potentially improve the heat shield, which protects the upper stage during its return trip through Earth’s atmosphere.