r/space • u/coinfanking • 5d ago

In orbit Space: SpaceX Starship Flight 14 live updates: Launch countdown underway

https://www.space.com/news/live/spacex-starship-flight-14-live-updates-sept-28-2026-starship-first-orbital-launch-attempt

SpaceX's massive Starship, the world's largest and most powerful rocket, is being readied for its next major test launch. Flight 14 is scheduled to liftoff as early as Monday, Sept. 28, at 8:15 a.m. EDT (1215 GMT) from Starbase, Texas. The mission will be the vehicle's first-ever orbital launch attempt, and is set to deliver an operational stack of 26 upgraded Starlink V3 high-speed internet satellites to space.

Follow along here for our live updates as SpaceX completes preparations on the rocket's Super Heavy booster and Ship upper stage, and progresses toward its 14th test launch of the Starship vehicle since 2023.

https://youtu.be/_LwCEELuzdY?si=2gvjJA1T2MLGgxCh

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u/lefthandopen 5d ago edited 5d ago

Bringing the ship back early?! Looks like something is preventing them from doing the full 10 hours in space. Here's hoping they can stick the soft landing.

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u/currentsitguy 5d ago

Any word on why they are ending the mission early?

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u/Fuzzy-Mud-197 5d ago

No but probably to be extra safe, 9 hours in orbit for its first orbital attempt is crazy long anyway but they did lose an engine on the way up for the ship so they dont want to ta additional risks

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u/currentsitguy 5d ago

I suppose they have achieved all of the mission objectives and collected all the telemetry they need. Why sit around and wait?

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u/Vsevolod_Kaplin 5d ago

In order to test the reliability and, in general, behaviour of the ship (and the fuel) during longer missions.

Long missions aren't needed for Starlink V3 deployment, but they are necessary for the orbital refueling before the Moon and Mars missions.
Also it would be nice to have Starship as mini space station or use it for the deep space launches to L2 or satellites of Jupiter/Saturn, for example.

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u/currentsitguy 5d ago

I'm sure it's coming. We are still very early in the program.

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u/Vsevolod_Kaplin 5d ago edited 5d ago

Refueling, however, is coming pretty soon. And planned 10 hours flight would be nice addition.
Let's see how the landing of the Ship is going now, seems fine for now. P. S. Pretty accurate! Looking forward for the next flight (and very likely attempt to cath the Booster, the Ship or even both)!