Starship Flight 14 Slips to No Earlier Than September 22

NASASpaceflight reported Sept 14, 2026 that Starship Flight 14's target launch date has moved from the previously reported Sept 18 window to no earlier than Sept 22, 2026 — the third target change in as many weeks. No official reason has been disclosed, and the change does not appear to reflect a vehicle problem: Booster 21 and Ship 41 already completed their pre-launch test campaigns (B21's full-duration 33-engine static fire Aug 28; Ship 41's six-engine static fire Aug 21) and remain in final checkout at Starbase. During the gap, SpaceX moved the next-generation Ship 42 to Pad 2's launch tower on Sept 12 and exercised the chopstick arms — including lateral-translation capability and reconnecting the Ship Quick Disconnect arm — rehearsing hardware for Flight 15's planned first attempt at catching a Starship upper stage. Flight 14 itself is not planned as a catch attempt; it remains SpaceX's first bid at a full orbital insertion, carrying roughly 20 operational Starlink V3 satellites.