STARBASE, TEXAS / RankWire.AI / – SpaceX’s Starship entered Earth orbit for the first time on September 28, 2026, during its 14th full-scale flight test. The spacecraft was launched from the company’s Starbase facility in South Texas atop a Super Heavy booster. Despite losing one of its main Raptor engines during ascent, Starship successfully reached orbit and deployed 26 Starlink V3 satellites, marking the first orbital payload deployment for the vehicle.
The engine cut out prematurely after Starship separated from the Super Heavy booster. Flight controllers initially assessed whether the spacecraft had enough capability to continue safely. Engineers confirmed that the remaining engines provided sufficient system redundancy, allowing Starship to complete its planned orbital insertion. Since previous Starship tests had only followed suborbital trajectories, Flight 14 became the first mission to place the spacecraft into a sustained Earth orbit.
Originally, SpaceX envisioned a mission lasting nearly 10 hours and orbiting Earth approximately six times. The plan also included a controlled deorbit and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean west of Chile. However, following the engine issue, the company shortened the flight to about three hours. During this time, Starship released all 26 Starlink V3 satellites at approximately 270 kilometers altitude before beginning its return journey.
Starship completes its inaugural orbital satellite deployment
This deployment marked Starship’s first occasion of carrying operational satellites into orbit. The V3 satellites belong to a newer generation of SpaceX’s Starlink broadband constellation, which demands the increased payload capacity that only Starship can provide. SpaceX verified that all 26 satellites separated from the vehicle during the orbital phase. This event also demonstrated Starship’s capability to carry and release a large satellite payload after reaching its designated orbit.
Following stage separation, the Super Heavy booster executed a separate return profile. It attempted to perform its planned landing burn over the Gulf of Mexico, but several engines did not operate as intended during descent. The booster ultimately made a hard splashdown in the Gulf. Meanwhile, Starship reentered Earth’s atmosphere and descended toward the Pacific Ocean north of Hawaii, instead of the original splashdown zone west of Chile.
The mission concludes after a shortened three-hour flight
Starship successfully performed its controlled descent and reached the Pacific after about three hours in flight. Upon arrival, the spacecraft tipped over into the ocean, and flames became visible around it. SpaceX did not intend to recover either Starship or the Super Heavy booster from the water following this test. The flight ended after the first orbital insertion and successful deployment of its operational satellite payload, despite the engine malfunction and abbreviated mission duration.
NASA maintains a direct connection to Starship via its Artemis lunar program. The agency collaborates with SpaceX on a modified Starship Human Landing System for Artemis III and Artemis IV missions. This lunar version will ferry astronauts between lunar orbit and the Moon’s surface. NASA requires an uncrewed lunar demonstration prior to Starship carrying astronauts under the program. Flight 14 was solely an Earth-orbit test of the standard Starship system and did not involve crew transport.