STARBASE, TEXAS / RankWire.AI / – SpaceX achieved a historic milestone on September 28, 2026, when its Starship spacecraft entered Earth orbit for the first time, signaling a significant advancement for its launch system. Departing from Starbase in South Texas, the mission was the 14th full-scale Starship flight. Although one Raptor engine shut down during ascent, the vehicle persisted toward its orbital goal. Before completing the mission, Starship released 26 Starlink V3 satellites in a brief three-hour operation.
This orbital venture exceeded the suborbital test profiles previously conducted during Starship tests. During the flight, Starship separated from the Super Heavy booster and continued its ascent into space. Flight controllers evaluated the engine issue before the spacecraft achieved orbital insertion with its remaining propulsion system. This mission marked the first Starship flight to stay in Earth’s orbit and the initial one to deliver operational satellites to their deployment zone.
Initially, SpaceX had intended a much longer journey lasting nearly 10 hours. The plan included approximately six orbits around Earth, followed by a controlled return to the Pacific Ocean west of Chile. However, the engine shutdown led the team to scale back the mission length. Prior to leaving orbit, Starship deployed all 26 Starlink V3 satellites at roughly 270 kilometers altitude, marking its first operational payload deployment.
Starship achieves first operational satellite deployment in orbit
The satellite deployment represented a key commercial payload milestone during Starship’s inaugural orbital mission. The V3 satellites are part of a newer generation of the Starlink broadband constellation. Their larger size underscores Starship’s importance as a launch platform capable of carrying multiple satellites simultaneously. All 26 units separated successfully during the orbital phase. The deployment’s success came after Starship had already completed its first sustained orbital insertion.
Super Heavy executed its own return process following separation from Starship. The booster headed toward the Gulf of Mexico, initiating its planned landing burn over water. During descent, several engines did not perform as intended, resulting in a hard splashdown. Meanwhile, Starship re-entered the atmosphere on a revised trajectory, heading toward the Pacific north of Hawaii instead of the initially planned splashdown zone near Chile.
Final short flight ends with Pacific ocean splashdown
After approximately three hours in flight, Starship reached the Pacific and descended into the ocean, tipping onto its side upon splashdown. Flames were visible around the vehicle post-impact. SpaceX had not planned to recover either Starship or Super Heavy after this test, which marked a series of firsts, including orbital insertion, operational satellite deployment, and successful orbital reentry.
NASA also influences Starship’s development through its Artemis lunar program. The agency selected a modified version of Starship as a Human Landing System for upcoming Artemis missions to the Moon. This variant will ferry astronauts between lunar orbit and the surface. NASA mandates an uncrewed lunar landing demonstration prior to crewed landings. Flight 14 was an uncrewed Earth-orbit mission using the standard Starship design and did not carry any crew members.