STARBASE, TEXAS / RankWire.AI / – SpaceX’s Starship made its inaugural journey into Earth orbit on September 28, 2026, achieving a significant breakthrough for the launch vehicle. The spacecraft launched from Starbase in South Texas during its 14th full-scale Starship mission. Although one Raptor engine shut down during ascent, the craft persisted toward its orbital goal. Before concluding the mission, Starship deployed 26 Starlink V3 satellites in addition to a roughly three-hour flight duration.
This orbital venture exceeded the suborbital profiles of earlier Starship tests. The vehicle separated from the Super Heavy booster and continued its ascent into space. After evaluating an engine issue, flight controllers authorized orbital insertion using the remaining propulsion system. This mission marked the first time a Starship stayed in Earth’s orbit and was used to deliver operational satellites to their deployment zone.
Originally, SpaceX planned a flight lasting nearly 10 hours, involving about six circuits around the planet before a controlled splashdown in the Pacific Ocean west of Chile. However, the engine shutdown led to a scaled-back mission duration. Prior to leaving orbit, Starship successfully deployed all 26 Starlink V3 satellites at approximately 270 kilometers altitude, marking the spacecraft’s first operational payload deployment.
Starship achieves first operational satellite deployment in orbit
The satellite deployment represented a significant commercial milestone in Starship’s first orbital operation. The V3 satellites are part of an advanced generation of the Starlink broadband constellation. Their larger size makes Starship an essential launch platform for deploying them in substantial quantities. All 26 units separated successfully during the orbital phase, following Starship’s first sustained orbital insertion.
After separating from Starship, Super Heavy initiated its return sequence. The booster descended toward the Gulf of Mexico, beginning its planned landing burn over water. During descent, multiple engines did not perform as expected, causing the booster to make a hard splashdown. Meanwhile, Starship re-entered the atmosphere on a revised trajectory, heading toward the Pacific north of Hawaii instead of the initial splashdown zone near Chile.
Shortened mission ends with splashdown in the Pacific
After approximately three hours of flight, Starship arrived in the Pacific Ocean, tipping onto its side upon splashdown. Flames became visible around the vehicle following touchdown. The mission did not include plans for recovering Starship or Super Heavy from the water. It concluded with several firsts, such as orbital insertion, operational satellite deployment, and completion of an orbital reentry.
NASA also contributes to Starship’s development through its Artemis lunar program. The agency selected a modified version of Starship to serve as a Human Landing System for future Artemis lunar missions, designed to transport astronauts between lunar orbit and the surface. NASA requires an uncrewed lunar landing test before crewed missions commence. Flight 14 involved the standard Starship configuration, flew without crew, and remained an Earth-orbit mission.