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 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. It then deployed 26 Starlink V3 satellites, marking the first time the spacecraft delivered an orbital payload.
The engine shut down early after Starship separated from the Super Heavy booster. Flight controllers initially assessed whether the spacecraft had enough capability to proceed safely. Engineers confirmed sufficient system redundancy, allowing the remaining engines to complete the planned orbital insertion. Previous Starship tests had only achieved suborbital flights. Flight 14 was the first mission to put the spacecraft into a stable Earth orbit.
Initially, SpaceX planned a nearly 10-hour mission with about six orbits around Earth. The plan included a controlled deorbit and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean west of Chile. However, due to the engine issue, the company shortened the mission to approximately three hours. Before beginning its return, Starship released all 26 Starlink V3 satellites at around 270 kilometers altitude.
Starship accomplishes maiden orbital satellite deployment
This was the first time Starship carried operational satellites into orbit. The V3 satellites are part of a newer generation of SpaceX’s Starlink broadband constellation. They require the larger payload capacity that Starship offers. SpaceX confirmed all 26 satellites separated from the vehicle during orbit. This deployment proved Starship’s ability to carry and release a significant satellite payload after reaching the target orbit.
The Super Heavy booster followed a separate return profile after stage separation. It attempted its planned landing burn over the Gulf of Mexico, but several engines malfunctioned during descent. The booster made a hard splashdown in the Gulf. Meanwhile, Starship reentered Earth’s atmosphere and headed toward the Pacific Ocean north of Hawaii, instead of the initially planned splashdown area west of Chile.
Flight concludes after three-hour mission with limited recovery plans
Starship finished its controlled descent and reached the Pacific after about three hours in flight. The spacecraft tipped over after reaching the ocean, with flames visible around it. SpaceX did not intend to recover either Starship or the Super Heavy booster from the water after this test. The flight ended with the successful orbital insertion and deployment of the first operational satellite payload, despite engine issues and the shortened schedule.
NASA also has a direct link to Starship through 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 before Starship transports astronauts. Flight 14 was solely an Earth-orbit test of the standard Starship system and did not carry a crew.