SpaceX conducted a wet dress rehearsal on September 24 for the 14th Starship test flight. The procedure involved fully fueling the rocket and simulating launch day operations without igniting the engines. The company also recently tested the water deluge system at the LC-39A launch pad at maximum capacity to mitigate acoustic and thermal stress.
The upcoming Flight 14 mission aims to place the 52-meter Ship upper stage into orbit for the first time. The craft will deploy 26 third-generation Starlink satellites, complete six orbits, and splash down in the Pacific Ocean near Chile. The Super Heavy booster is scheduled to splash down in the Gulf of Mexico seven minutes after launch.
SpaceX plans to continue its recovery efforts for both stages using the launch tower mechanical arms. While the Super Heavy booster has been successfully caught three times, the Ship upper stage has not yet been recovered this way. The launch is currently scheduled for September 28 from the Starbase facility in South Texas.
The company has also outlined a schedule for subsequent missions. According to the current timeline, the 15th Starship test flight is set for October 19, followed by the 16th flight on October 30.
