Starship is loading propellant. First orbital attempt is today.
SpaceX went go for propellant load on Flight 14. The 75-minute window opened at 7:15 a.m. CT. This is the first planned orbital flight and the first operational Starlink V3 deployment from Starship. History is loading.
LIVE FROM THE EMPIRE · SEPTEMBER 28, 2026
Starship is loading. First orbit is the goal.
SpaceX went go for propellant load on Flight 14. Roughly 12 million pounds of liquid oxygen and liquid methane are heading into the vehicle. The 75-minute window opened at 7:15 a.m. CT. This is the first planned orbital attempt and the first operational Starlink V3 deployment from Starship.
STARSHIP
Loading
Go for propellant load.
ORBIT
First try
Six orbits planned.
PAYLOAD
26 V3s
First operational deploy.
MUSK WEALTH TRACKER
FORBES REAL-TIME · LATEST
~$908B
#1 in the world
Musk remains number one. SpaceX continues to drive the largest share of the number. A successful orbital flight would only reinforce that.
Source: Forbes Real-Time Billionaires data as of mid-September 2026. Figures move with markets.
ACROSS THE EMPIRE
Go for propellant load
SpaceX confirmed teams are loading roughly 12 million pounds of liquid oxygen and liquid methane into Starship. The 75-minute launch window opened at 7:15 a.m. CT. Target times shifted slightly into the mid-to-late 7 a.m. hour as the count progressed.
Why this matters: Propellant load is one of the last irreversible steps before a launch attempt. The vehicle is now in the final sequence for the first planned orbital flight.
First orbital profile
Flight 14 is designed to reach roughly 275 km altitude, complete about six orbits over nearly 10 hours, deploy 26 Starlink V3 satellites, then deorbit and splash down in the Pacific west of Chile. The Super Heavy booster is targeted for a controlled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.
Three of the V3 satellites carry cameras intended to image Ship 41’s heat shield while in orbit. The orbital insertion burn happens only after the team confirms enough redundancy for the later deorbit burn.
Why this matters: Previous flights stayed intentionally suborbital. Orbit plus real payload is a different category of test. It turns Starship from a demonstrator into a vehicle that can add network capacity.
FAA license in hand
The FAA issued the launch and reentry authorization on September 26. That cleared the regulatory path for today’s attempt after the earlier target had slipped from September 22.
Why this matters: Without the license there is no attempt. With it, the remaining variables are weather, vehicle health, and range. The paper barrier is down.
Grok keeps getting faster
Users noticed Grok Bot responding noticeably quicker. Elon replied with a single word: “Upgrades.”
Why this matters: Speed compounds usefulness. A model that is both capable and responsive becomes the default tool rather than the occasional one.
Milei’s inflation drop
Elon amplified data showing Argentina’s monthly inflation falling from 25.5% in Milei’s first month to 1.7% in August 2026. He simply wrote: “Bravo @JMilei!”
Why this matters: Fiscal surplus first, then inflation slows. The sequence matches what Elon has argued about incentives and government spending for years.
THE MAIN EVENT
LAUNCH DAY
Propellant is loading. The first orbital Starship flight is on the clock.
I opened the SpaceX feed this morning and the words were clear: go for propellant load. Teams began pumping roughly 12 million pounds of liquid oxygen and liquid methane into the vehicle. The 75-minute window opened at 7:15 a.m. Central. Target times settled into the mid-to-late 7 a.m. hour.
This is Flight 14. It is the first attempt to put Starship into a sustained orbit around Earth. The plan calls for about six orbits near 275 km, deployment of 26 Starlink V3 satellites, a deorbit burn, and a Pacific splashdown west of Chile. The booster is aimed at a controlled splashdown in the Gulf.
The FAA license arrived two days ago. The wet dress rehearsal was completed last week. The stack has been on the pad. Now the propellant is flowing. Everything that could be prepared on the ground has been prepared.
My take: Orbit is the line that separates demonstration from capability. If Ship 41 reaches it and deploys real satellites, Starship stops being a test article and starts being a system that can expand the network. Today is the first time that line is being crossed in public.
ELON ON X
GROK
“Upgrades”
Reply to users noticing Grok Bot responding faster than usual.
POLICY
“Bravo @JMilei!”
On Argentina’s monthly inflation falling from 25.5% to 1.7% under fiscal surplus.
LIFE
“It’s a standard mid-size Airstream, but I really like it”
Casual note on a simple trailer — a reminder that the same person loading a rocket also likes straightforward things.
THE TROLL REPORT
🧌 “It will scrub like the others.”
Possible. Propellant is loading, the license is issued, and the window is open. The difference today is that every major pre-flight gate has already been cleared in public.
🧌 “Orbit doesn’t matter until they catch the ship.”
Catch is the next milestone. Orbit is the one that turns Starship into a vehicle that can deploy real satellites and stay up for hours. Both matter. Today is about the second one.
“Go for propellant load.”
— SpaceX, September 28, 2026
Propellant is loading. Orbit is the goal.
Forward this to the person still waiting for Starship to leave the test phase.
Sources: SpaceX Flight 14 propellant load and window updates · FAA launch/reentry authorization · Mission profile for first orbital attempt and Starlink V3 deployment · Elon Musk posts on Grok upgrades and Milei · Forbes Real-Time data. Claims can evolve after publication; launch status is live.
Tomorrow morning
One sharp briefing across the whole empire.
I do the digging tonight. You get the signal in a few focused minutes.
