28 September,2026 04:30 PM IST | Texas | mid-day online correspondent
Starlink V3 is a next-generation satellite design that includes significant increases in capacity, data density and power generation. PIC/X
Elon Musk's SpaceX is set to launch the 14th flight of its Super Heavy rocket and Starship spacecraft later today, with a 75-minute launch window opening at 7.15 am Central Time (5.45 pm IST). The mission is expected to mark Starship's first attempt to enter orbit around Earth and deploy Starlink V3 satellites.
According to SpaceX, Flight 14 will also mark the first deployment of Starlink V3 satellites into the constellation. The company says the next-generation satellites will deliver a payload designed to dramatically expand connectivity speeds and reliability around the world, news agency ANI reported.
Starlink V3 is a next-generation satellite design that includes significant increases in capacity, data density and power generation. Each Starlink V3 satellite is designed to support 1 Tbps of downlink and 160 Gbps of uplink capacity.
According to Starlink, this represents a 10-fold improvement in downlink capacity and a 22-fold increase in uplink capacity compared with the Starlink V2 satellite.
After separating from Starship, the Starlink V3 satellites will unfold their antennas and deploy their solar arrays. They will then make initial contact with the ground and the rest of the Starlink constellation through radio frequency and laser links.
The satellites will subsequently begin raising their orbits using onboard thrusters. According to the company, following their on-orbit checkouts, the satellites should begin serving customers as soon as a few weeks after launch.
Starship's initial orbital mission is expected to reach an altitude of approximately 275 km above Earth and complete about six orbits over a nearly 10-hour flight. Splashdown is targeted in the Pacific Ocean to the west of Chile.
The Super Heavy booster's primary test objectives on Flight 14 include a successful launch, ascent, stage separation, boostback burn and landing burn at an offshore landing point in the Gulf of America.
SpaceX has made several hardware and software modifications to address issues observed during the previous flight.
The Starship upper stage has its own set of major objectives. These include the first orbital insertion manoeuvre, deployment of 26 Starlink V3 satellites, a deorbit burn using a single Raptor engine while in space, and a controlled reentry, descent and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
Three of the satellites have also been modified with a suite of cameras to scan Starship's heatshield and transmit imagery to operators. The data will help SpaceX continue testing methods to analyse the heatshield's readiness for a return to the launch site on future missions.
According to SpaceX, Starship is the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built, standing at 407 feet.
Both its stages - the Super Heavy booster and Ship upper-stage spacecraft - are designed to be fully and rapidly reusable. SpaceX has described this capability as the "holy grail of rocketry".
SpaceX believes Starship could open up new possibilities for human space exploration, including potentially enabling humanity to colonise the Moon and Mars. The company has also positioned the spacecraft as a vehicle that could take humans farther into space than ever before.
(With ANI inputs)
