SpaceX stacks Starship and Super Heavy at Starbase ahead of possible Sept. 28 orbital attempt

# What happened

# Why this matters now Stacking the two-stage vehicle on the pad is a concrete step toward the first planned orbital flight of Starship. SpaceX typically performs a full-vehicle fueling test — a Wet Dress Rehearsal (WDR) — after stacking and before a launch attempt. That test would exercise ground systems, propellant loading, and vehicle responses under near-launch conditions.

# The planned mission If the FAA approves the operation, SpaceX has targeted a launch opportunity as soon as 7:15 a.m. CDT (1215 UTC) on Sept. 28, 2026, for Starship Flight 14. The mission profile described by Spaceflight Now calls for a nearly 10-hour flight to deploy 26 next-generation Version 3 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit.

# What occurred during stacking

# Near-term steps to watch

• Wet Dress Rehearsal: SpaceX may perform a full-vehicle fueling demonstration in the days between stacking and any launch attempt. A successful WDR typically precedes an operational launch.
• FAA approval: The company needs regulatory clearance before committing to a liftoff. The TFR is already in place.
• Launch window: If cleared, Sept. 28 is the earliest potential launch date provided by Spaceflight Now. City or local closure notices had not been posted as of the morning after stacking.

# Context and immediate outcomes SpaceX's stacking and preparations come as the company aims to use Starship for both operational satellite deployments and future deep-space missions. Flight 14 would be the fourteenth test flight of the Starship stack and the first planned to place Starship's upper stage and payloads into orbit under this program. The 26 Starlink satellites on this flight are identified as third-generation (Version 3) spacecraft intended to join SpaceX's constellation.

# Bottom line The physical assembly of Ship 41 on booster B21 brings the Starship system to the pad and into its final prelaunch phase. The next concrete milestone to watch is a Wet Dress Rehearsal, followed by FAA approval. Should those occur, Starship Flight 14 could launch as early as Sept. 28 to insert 26 new Starlink satellites into orbit.