STARBASE, TEXAS / RankWire.AI / – SpaceX’s Starship made its inaugural journey into Earth orbit on September 28, 2026, during its 14th full-scale testing mission. The vehicle was launched from the company’s Starbase facility in South Texas, mounted on a Super Heavy booster. Despite losing one of its primary Raptor engines during ascent, Starship successfully entered orbit and deployed 26 Starlink V3 satellites, marking the first time it carried a payload into Earth’s orbit.
The engine shut down earlier than planned after Starship separated from the Super Heavy booster. Flight controllers initially assessed whether the spacecraft retained enough capability to proceed safely. After engineers confirmed sufficient redundancy in the system, the remaining engines guided Starship through its intended orbital insertion. Previously, Starship test flights had only followed suborbital paths, making Flight 14 the first to place the vehicle into a sustained Earth orbit.
Originally, SpaceX envisioned a mission lasting nearly 10 hours, completing about six orbits around Earth. The plan also included a controlled deorbit burn and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean west of Chile. However, the engine issue prompted a shortening of the mission, which was completed in roughly three hours. Before beginning its descent, Starship released all 26 Starlink V3 satellites at an altitude near 270 kilometers.
Starship’s First Orbital Satellite Deployment
The deployment of the Starlink satellites represented the first time Starship carried operational payloads into orbit. The V3 satellites are part of a newer generation of SpaceX’s broadband constellation, requiring the higher payload capacity that only Starship can provide. Confirming the success, SpaceX stated that all 26 satellites separated from the vehicle during the orbital phase. This event also demonstrated Starship’s capability to transport and release a substantial satellite payload once in the intended orbit.
Following stage separation, the Super Heavy booster executed a separate return maneuver. It attempted its planned landing burn over the Gulf of Mexico, but several engines did not operate as intended during descent. The booster ultimately splashed down in the Gulf. Meanwhile, Starship reentered Earth’s atmosphere and descended toward the Pacific Ocean north of Hawaii, rather than the initially designated splashdown zone west of Chile.
Mission Concludes After a Three-Hour Flight
Starship completed its controlled descent and reached the Pacific in about three hours. After touching down in the ocean, the vehicle tipped over, and flames became visible around it. Neither Starship nor the Super Heavy booster was intended to be recovered from the water after this test. The flight’s main achievement was its first orbital insertion and the deployment of its first operational satellite payload, despite the engine malfunction and shorter duration.
NASA maintains a 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 variant is designed to transport astronauts between lunar orbit and the Moon’s surface. An uncrewed lunar demonstration is a prerequisite before Starship can carry crew members as part of the program. Flight 14 served as an Earth-orbit test of the standard Starship system and did not involve crewed operation.