Starlink posted a video of Starship Flight 14 deploying satellites on October 6, 2026, alongside a statement about early communications. SpaceX had posted three Flight 14 hot-staging videos on October 2. Both releases show different parts of the September 28 mission, when Starship achieved its first orbital insertion and deployed 26 Starlink V3 satellites.
Starlink posts Flight 14 deployment footage
Starlink’s October 6 post pairs the deployment video with an explanation of why it seeks early contact with its satellites. The footage comes from Flight 14, which launched from Starbase, Texas, on September 28.
SpaceX posted three hot-staging videos
Three days before Starlink’s post, SpaceX published three short videos under the title “Hot-staging on Starship Flight 14.” Hot-staging is the stage-separation maneuver in which the upper stage ignites before separating from the booster. The clips and Starlink’s deployment video capture distinct moments from the same flight.
The flight behind the footage
Flight 14 made Starship’s first orbital insertion, and SpaceX says the vehicle deployed all 26 Starlink V3 satellites and soon made contact with each one. Orbital insertion began at approximately T+25:17; deployment began at T+34:07. NeoTeo covered the mission in its earlier report on Starship’s first orbital flight.
SpaceX says one Raptor vacuum engine shut down early during ascent. The other five engines burned longer to compensate. The flight team then shortened the orbital phase and deorbited out of caution. SpaceX’s approximate timeline places Starship’s landing at T+9:50:30 after liftoff.
Why Starlink says early contact matters
In its October 6 statement, Starlink said early communication lets it take responsibility for satellite maneuvers, publish orbital-position information faster than ground radar can catalog an object, and retain the ability to send commands during a deorbit if needed. The company described continuous communication as central to safe satellite autonomy.
