Monday’s Flight 14 Starship launch successfully met all its planned objectives. It would’ve been flawless if a vacuum-level (RVac) Raptor engine hadn’t failed during the ascent burn.
One of the main objectives was to deploy 26 Starlink V3 satellites into orbit. When the engine failed, SpaceX suddenly announced that it had canceled orbital insertion of Starship (Ship 41).
However, after a few minutes of storm meetings and discussion by SpaceX engineers and senior staff, the decision was reversed. Starship didn’t need the RVac Raptor engine for orbital insertion and the deorbit burn (exiting the orbit and descending to Earth).
A single sea-level Raptor engine was enough to do the task. If the orbital objective had been canceled, the Starlink V3 deployment would also be automatically held off.
But SpaceX decided to go orbital, and Starship successfully deployed all 26 Starlink V3 satellites in space. An interesting fact is that each V3 Starlink weighs around 2,000 kilograms (4,400 lbs).
So, Flight 14 Starship carried an enormous payload of 52,000 kg (114,400 lbs). On future missions, Starship will transport as many as 60 Starlink V3s to space (120,000 kg / 264,555 lbs).
The V3 Starlink satellites are coming out so smoothly pic.twitter.com/JHifWc69Ot
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) September 28, 2026
In an interview from yesterday, Elon Musk talked about the Starship launch and deployment of Starlink V3 satellites.
According to Musk, a Starlink V3 satellite’s wingspan is nearly the same as a Boeing 737 aircraft (28.8 meters for the classic generation).
“We deployed V3 Starlink satellites, which are enormous. These are satellites with a wingspan of a 737. It’s the largest payload since Skylab,” Musk said.
“Next year, we expect Starship to reach a weekly or twice-weekly launch cadence,” he added.
Elon Musk in new interview on yesterday’s Starship launch:
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) September 29, 2026
“We deployed V3 Starlink satellites, which are enormous. These are satellites with a wingspan of a 737. Next year, we expect Starship to reach a weekly or twice weekly launch cadence.” pic.twitter.com/wDt3EN6y5C
Starlink Constellation Bandwidth Addition
A single Starlink V3 satellite adds 1 terabits per second (tbps) of downlink capacity to the Starlink satellite constellation. Using simple math, 26 satellites added 26 tbps of bandwidth capacity to the Starlink constellation in a single payload deployment by Starship.
Before Monday’s deployment of the first Starlink V3s, the total capacity of the Starlink constellation stood at 841.5 tbps. Although the 26 V3 satellites added significant bandwidth, 26 tbps added only about 3% more capacity to the constellation.
After the addition of 26 Starlink V3s in Flight 14, the total size of the Starlink Earth orbit has grown to approximately 11,135 satellites (11,119 working; source: KeepTrack).
Compared to a Falcon 9, SpaceX added around 10 times more bandwidth in a single Starship launch with 26 Starlink V3 satellites.
With 60 Starlink V3 satellites deployed per launch in upcoming Starship launches, SpaceX will add more than 20 times the capacity of a Falcon 9 deployment.
Starships launching Starlink V3 satellites once or twice a week will increase Starlink constellation bandwidth capacity several times faster than Falcon 9 did in the past.
The internal diameter of a Starship V3 payload bay is 8 meters. A Starlink V3 satellite measures 7 meters long and 3.5 meters wide when folded and packed. Only Starship can accommodate a Starlink V3 satellite as a payload.
According to SpaceX, Starlink V3 satellites deployed in Flight 14 will start delivering downlink bandwidth to customers in a few weeks. This will lower latency and improve internet speeds for many customers.
Interestingly, Starlink V3 satellites have large solar panels that expand in space to harness the sun’s energy 24/7.
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Related SpaceX / Starship News
- SpaceX deployed 26 terabits per second of Starlink V3 bandwidth in a single Starship launch (Flight 14)
- Watch Flight 14 Starship launch live stream recordings and read the live updates archive
- SpaceX completes Starship Flight 14 launch rehearsal, gets final FAA approval for launch on Monday, more
- SpaceX (SPCX) President Gwynne Shotwell files to sell $52M worth of the company’s shares
- Starship Flight 14 gets delayed, SpaceX moves Booster 21 to Starbase launch pad, more
- Starship Flight 14 orbital launch: planned trajectory, mission objectives, no landing catch
 adds a massive amount of downlink bandwidth by deploying 26 Starlink V3 satellites in Starship Flight 14. Listen to what Elon Musk says, and technical details.){kind=link}