SpaceX is targeting September 28 for Starship's 14th flight test, marking the vehicle's first orbital mission. The 75-minute launch window opens at 8:15 AM Eastern Time, pending regulatory approval. The company announced the date shift from September 22 on X without explanation.

Unlike previous suborbital tests designed to maximize public safety, this flight will see Starship orbit Earth six times at an altitude of 171 miles over a 10-hour period. The upper stage will deploy 26 operational Starlink V3 satellites into the constellation, a significant upgrade from the previous test where prototype satellites burned up upon reentry. These V3 satellites offer 1 Tbps downlink capacity — 10 times V2 capability — and 160 Gbps uplink, a 22-fold increase.

SpaceX will not attempt a tower catch of the Super Heavy booster this flight; instead, the booster will splash down in the Gulf of Mexico (renamed Gulf of America in 2025 by President Donald Trump). The upper stage will splash down in the Pacific Ocean near Chile after completing its objectives. The launch will be streamed live on SpaceX's X account.