New Delhi, September 28, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
SpaceX is preparing to launch Starship on its 14th test flight as early as Monday, with the mission marking the spacecraft’s first planned attempt at an orbital flight.
The company said on X that a 75-minute launch window was scheduled to open at 7:15 a.m., subject to regulatory approval. SpaceX is also expected to livestream the launch on its official website, with coverage beginning around 30 minutes before liftoff.
The mission plan calls for Starship to reach an altitude of about 275 km, complete roughly six orbits and remain in flight for nearly 10 hours before a targeted splashdown in the Pacific Ocean west of Chile.
Following stage separation, the spacecraft’s upper stage is scheduled to deploy 26 next-generation Starlink V3 satellites. SpaceX says the satellites are designed to add around 26 terabits per second of capacity to its satellite internet constellation, about 10 times the capacity associated with a standard Falcon 9 launch.
After deployment, Starship is expected to conduct an in-space deorbit burn using a single Raptor engine before attempting controlled atmospheric re-entry and a splashdown.
The flight will also test key phases of the Super Heavy booster, including liftoff, stage separation and its final landing burn, ahead of a planned offshore splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.
The mission follows hardware and software upgrades intended to address ice-related engine failures that cut short the boostback manoeuvre during Flight 13.
SpaceX is also testing modifications to Starship’s heat shield, including stronger tile mountings, curved tile designs and improved plasma shielding. Ship 41 is additionally scheduled to carry two recycled heat-shield tiles from Ship 40, representing an early test of reusable thermal protection technology for Starship.
The company is using the test flight to evaluate multiple systems required for future Starship operations, including orbital flight, satellite deployment, thermal protection and controlled re-entry.
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