Starship reaches orbit and deploys the first 26 Starlink V3 satellites

What changed

SpaceX launched Starship Flight 14 from Starbase, Texas, at 7:48 a.m. CT on Sep 28, 2026. It was the first Starship flight to reach orbit, at roughly 275 km, and the first to carry operational Starlink satellites: 26 of the larger V3 design. Tesla North, summarizing SpaceX's own recap, reports that the Starlink team made contact with all 26 through laser links, ground stations and user terminals.

The flight wasn't flawless. One Super Heavy booster engine and one Starship engine shut down early during ascent, and SpaceX ended the orbital portion of the mission earlier than planned as a precaution.

SpaceX says each V3 satellite carries about 1 Tbps of capacity, so this one launch added roughly ten times what a Falcon 9 load of the current V2 Mini satellites adds. Per the recap, the satellites start serving customers within weeks, after on-orbit testing.

"Starship achieved orbit on its first attempt and successfully delivered Starlink V3 satellites to space for the first time."
SpaceX recap, as quoted by Tesla North, Sep 28, 2026

Who it affects

Nobody's price changes today. This is a network milestone, not an offer. We cover it because capacity is what drives most of the deals this site tracks.

Shoppers in "high-demand" areas. Starlink's one-time surcharges and the absence of promos in busy metros exist because cells there are full. More capacity is the precondition for those to ease, though Starlink hasn't said when or where that will happen.

Current customers at peak hours, eventually, if V3 capacity reaches their area.

What you can do now

Nothing to do now. Don't delay a purchase based on V3; there is no announced price cut or speed change tied to it.

If you're in an area with a surcharge or no promo, check your address again on starlink.com every few weeks; regional offers appear and disappear, as our deals log shows.

What hasn't changed

Your dish works with the network as it is. No new hardware is required to use satellites launched on Starship, according to anything published so far. Plan prices and the Mini's $149 price are unchanged by this launch.

Context

Promotions in our log, from the $0 kit offers of 2025 to the $29 and $35 Residential promos of spring 2026, were limited to "areas with excess capacity". The size of each launch matters for how many areas qualify. Falcon 9 has carried every operational Starlink satellite until now; Starship is designed to carry far more mass per flight.

What we don't know yet

When V3 capacity will be noticeable in US cells, and which areas first.
Whether more capacity will lead to lower prices, more regional promos, or neither. Starlink hasn't said.
How often Starship will fly Starlink missions from here.

Thinking of ordering Starlink?

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US addresses only. It works only if you have never had Starlink, and only for a kit and plan ordered on starlink.com. A store kit never qualifies.

What you'll still pay: the kit ($349 to buy) or a rental activation fee shown at checkout, the monthly plan (from $55/mo), tax, and possibly a one-time demand surcharge in busy areas.