Starship reaches orbit on Flight 14, SpaceX reports

This is Today in Space from SpaceNexus, for Monday, September 28, 2026.

Flight 14 lifts off

Starship Flight 14 lifted off from Starbase, Texas at 12:48:59 UTC, and Launch Library 2 records the launch as a success. SpaceX reported that Super Heavy splashed down in the Gulf of America after hot staging.

Image shown: Starship lifting off on its fifth flight test, October 2024 (file photo). Photo: Steve Jurvetson, CC BY 2.0, cropped.

Sources: Launch Library 2; Launch Library 2; SpaceX on X; SpaceX on X

Orbit and deployment

SpaceX reported that Starship performed its orbital insertion burn and entered orbit for the first time. It reported that all 26 Starlink V3 satellites are in orbit and that the Starlink team made contact with all 26. Space.com reported that one ship engine shut down early during ascent; SpaceX's posts did not mention it.

Sources: SpaceX on X; SpaceX on X; SpaceX on X; Space.com

Splashdown and limits

SpaceX reported that Starship completed its deorbit burn and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean. SpaceX's plan before launch was a nearly 10-hour flight; its post said flight teams would deorbit the ship after 3 hours in orbit. The flight did not include a booster or ship catch, ship reuse or ship-to-ship propellant transfer.

Sources: SpaceX on X; SpaceX on X; SpaceX on X; SpaceX mission page; SpaceNexus; SpaceNexus analysis of SpaceX statements

Why it matters

SpaceX says each Starlink V3 satellite will add 1 Tbps, for 26 Tbps on this mission, though the satellites still have to raise their orbits and pass checkout. For Artemis, the Starship lander design requires ship-to-ship refuelling in orbit, which cannot be tested until ships reach orbit. On SpaceX's account, the Promise Ledger records its S-1 payload-to-orbit commitment as met.

Sources: SpaceX; NASA Office of Inspector General; SpaceX; SpaceNexus Promise Ledger; SEC EDGAR; SpaceNexus Promise Ledger

JUICE gets an Earth boost

Space.com reported that the Jupiter-bound JUICE spacecraft got an 8,000 mph speed boost from Earth. ESA Science and Sky & Telescope also covered the story.

Sources: Space.com

Starliner's path

NASASpaceFlight reported that NASA and Boeing have laid out a revised path for Starliner, which its headline calls a return path to ISS crew rotations.

Sources: NASASpaceFlight

Terran R environmental notice

The Federal Register lists a Transportation Department notice, published September 28, of availability of the Finding of No Significant Impact and Record of Decision for the Relativity Terran R Launch Program at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.

Sources: Federal Register

Space jobs

According to the SpaceNexus jobs board, 9,835 roles are open as of September 28, and 3,643 of them were posted in the last 7 days.

Sources: SpaceNexus jobs board

Full details and sources are at spacenexus.us.