STARBASE, TEXAS / RankWire.AI / – SpaceX’s Starship reached Earth orbit for the first time on September 28, 2026, marking a new milestone for the launch system. The spacecraft lifted off from Starbase in South Texas on the 14th full-scale Starship flight. One Raptor engine shut down during ascent, but the vehicle continued toward orbit. Starship later released 26 Starlink V3 satellites before completing a shortened mission lasting about three hours.
The orbital flight went beyond the suborbital profiles used during earlier Starship tests. Starship separated from the Super Heavy booster and continued its climb toward space. Flight controllers assessed the engine problem before the spacecraft completed orbital insertion using its remaining propulsion capability. The mission became the first Starship flight to remain in Earth orbit and the first to carry operational satellites to their deployment point.
SpaceX had planned a much longer flight that would last close to 10 hours. The original profile included about six trips around Earth before a controlled return to the Pacific Ocean west of Chile. The engine shutdown prompted the company to reduce the mission duration. Before leaving orbit, Starship deployed all 26 Starlink V3 satellites at an altitude of roughly 270 kilometers, completing the spacecraft’s first operational payload release.
Starship delivers first operational payload in orbit
The deployment added a commercial payload milestone to Starship’s first orbital mission. The V3 satellites belong to a newer generation of the Starlink broadband network. Their larger design makes Starship an important launch platform for carrying them in significant numbers. All 26 satellites separated from the spacecraft during the orbital phase. The successful release came after Starship had already completed its first sustained orbital insertion.
Super Heavy followed its own return sequence after separating from Starship. The booster descended toward the Gulf of Mexico and began its planned landing burn above the water. Several engines did not operate as intended during the descent, and the booster made a hard splashdown. Starship later returned through the atmosphere on a revised trajectory. The spacecraft headed toward the Pacific north of Hawaii instead of the splashdown zone originally planned near Chile.
Shortened flight concludes with Pacific splashdown
Starship reached the Pacific after spending roughly three hours in flight. The spacecraft completed its descent and entered the ocean before tipping onto its side. Flames became visible around the vehicle after splashdown. SpaceX had not planned to recover either Starship or Super Heavy from the water after the test. The mission ended after achieving several firsts, including orbital insertion, deployment of operational satellites and completion of an orbital reentry sequence.
NASA also has a direct role in Starship’s development through the Artemis lunar program. The agency selected a modified Starship as a Human Landing System for planned Artemis missions to the Moon. That version will carry astronauts between lunar orbit and the lunar surface. NASA requires an uncrewed lunar landing demonstration before astronauts use the system. Flight 14 remained an Earth-orbit mission involving the standard Starship configuration and carried no crew.