SpaceX Starship reaches orbit for first time on 14th test flight

Texas: SpaceX’s Starship megarocket reached orbit for the first time on Monday, September 28, 2026, after blasting off from Starbase, Texas, in a major milestone for its Moon and Mars plans.

The 120-metre black-and-silver behemoth lifted off at 7:48 am local time on its 14th test flight. The Super Heavy booster separated and splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico.

The upper stage faced tense moments when one of its six Raptor engines shut down prematurely during ascent. After several minutes of deliberation, flight controllers gave a go for orbit.”Starship is orbital,” Mission Control announced to cheers. The ship reached about 275 km altitude at 28,000 km/h.

It successfully deployed 26 next-generation Starlink V3 satellites — the first operational deployment of the larger satellites, which offer 10x more capacity.

The mission was planned for 10 hours and six orbits to prove readiness for NASA’s Artemis program. Out of caution over the engine issue, SpaceX cut it short. Starship re-entered and splashed down in the Pacific north of Hawaii after about 3 hours, tipping over and bursting into flames.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman congratulated SpaceX for managing “every step in a safe, responsible and especially inspirational way.”