Starship Flight 14 New Date Sept 28: IST Time & Live Stream

Last updated: September 24, 2026. The SpaceX Starship Flight 14 launch date is now officially targeted for NET Monday, September 28, 2026, at 8:15 AM EDT (5:45 PM IST), though it remains pending final FAA approval. This highly anticipated launch marks a monumental milestone as the massive rocket attempts its first-ever full orbital flight.

What Changed: The Timeline of Delays

The timeline for this historic launch has shifted several times over the past month. Originally aiming for mid-September, the launch slipped to September 22, and now to Monday, September 28. SpaceX has not provided an official reason for this ~6-day slip, though final FAA launch license approvals are still pending.

Vehicle preparations are complete: Super Heavy Booster 21 and Ship 41—a Block 3 / V3 vehicle featuring upgraded Raptor 3 engines—were fully stacked at Pad 2 in Starbase, Texas, between September 21 and 23.

Global Launch Times & How to Watch Live

The 75-minute launch window opens at 7:15 AM CDT. The official Starship Flight 14 live stream will begin approximately 30 minutes before liftoff (around 5:15 PM IST) and will be broadcast simultaneously on SpaceX.com and the official X account @SpaceX.

Launch Window Time Zones

For Indian audiences: The Starship launch time IST falls perfectly during evening prime time, offering the best viewing experience at 5:45 PM IST for space enthusiasts across the country.

Mission Timeline: First Orbital Flight

Unlike previous suborbital tests, Flight 14 aims for true orbit. Following liftoff, the Super Heavy booster will execute a boostback and landing burn, splashing down in the Gulf of Mexico approximately 7 minutes after launch. There will be no tower catch of the booster or ship on this flight.

Orbit and Splashdown: The Ship's orbital insertion burn will occur roughly 25 minutes after liftoff. It will complete approximately 6 orbits at an altitude of ~275 km during a 10-hour flight, culminating in a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean west of Chile in the early hours of September 29 (IST).

Why Starship Flight 14 Matters

This mission is a critical stepping stone for NASA's Artemis Moon lander program and SpaceX's interplanetary ambitions. Achieving a stable orbit and surviving reentry will provide invaluable data on the new Block 3 heatshield and Raptor 3 engine performance.

Payload: The First Starlink V3 Deployment

Nestled inside Ship 41 are 26 next-generation Starlink V3 satellites. Boasting ~1 Tbps capacity each (totaling ~26 Tbps), this payload represents roughly 10 times the capacity of a Falcon 9 V2 Mini launch. Three of these satellites are equipped with specialized cameras designed to photograph Ship 41's heatshield during deployment.

Bonus Space Event: ESA JUICE Earth Flyby

Same day in space: Just 30 minutes before the Starship launch window opens, the ESA JUICE spacecraft will execute a critical Earth flyby. Closest approach is scheduled for 11:45 UTC (5:15 PM IST / 7:45 AM EDT) on September 28, passing at an altitude of ~8,640 km directly over the Indian Ocean.

With two major aerospace events happening back-to-back, September 28 is shaping up to be a monumental day for astronomy and space exploration.

Key mission highlights include:

• Orbital Milestone – First time Starship will enter a sustained ~275 km orbit.
• No Tower Catch – Both Booster 21 and Ship 41 will splash down safely in the ocean.
• Next-Gen Payload – First-ever deployment of the massive Starlink V3 satellites.
• Heatshield Cameras – Unique satellite-mounted cameras will monitor reentry tile integrity.

Final Launch Preparations

As the aerospace community waits for the FAA's final nod, all eyes remain on Starbase. Weather conditions and technical checkouts could still impact the NET September 28 target.

Disclaimer: Launch dates are highly volatile and subject to change due to weather, technical scrubs, or regulatory delays. Keep an eye on our updates for the latest information.