STARBASE, TEXAS / RankWire.AI / – SpaceX’s Starship made its inaugural entry into Earth orbit on September 28, 2026, marking a significant breakthrough for the launch vehicle. The spacecraft took off from Starbase in South Texas during its 14th full-scale Starship mission. Although one Raptor engine shut down during ascent, the vehicle pressed on toward its orbital goal. Prior to completing its mission, Starship deployed 26 Starlink V3 satellites and completed a shortened flight lasting approximately three hours.
The orbital journey extended beyond the suborbital profiles tested during earlier Starship missions. After separating from the Super Heavy booster, Starship continued its climb into space. Flight controllers evaluated an engine issue before the spacecraft achieved orbital insertion using its remaining propulsion capacity. This flight marked the first time a Starship remained in Earth orbit and also the first to deliver operational satellites to their deployment location.
Originally, SpaceX planned a longer mission lasting nearly 10 hours, including about six orbits around Earth before a controlled descent into the Pacific Ocean west of Chile. However, the engine shutdown led to a scaled-back mission profile. Before leaving orbit, Starship successfully released all 26 Starlink V3 satellites at around 270 kilometers altitude, marking the spacecraft’s first operational payload deployment.
Starship accomplishes first orbital payload delivery
This satellite deployment added a commercial milestone to Starship’s initial orbital mission. The V3 satellites are part of an advanced generation of the Starlink broadband constellation. Their larger size makes Starship a vital launch platform for deploying substantial numbers of these new satellites. All 26 satellites separated during the orbital phase, occurring after Starship had successfully completed its first sustained orbital insertion.
Super Heavy executed its own descent sequence after separating from Starship. The booster headed toward the Gulf of Mexico and initiated its planned landing burn over water. During descent, several engines did not operate as intended, resulting in a hard splashdown. Subsequently, Starship re-entered Earth’s atmosphere on a revised trajectory, heading toward the Pacific north of Hawaii instead of the initially planned splashdown zone near Chile.
Brief flight ends with splashdown in the Pacific
Starship concluded its roughly three-hour flight by landing in the Pacific Ocean, tipping onto its side upon descent. Flames were visible around the vehicle after splashdown. SpaceX had not planned to recover either Starship or Super Heavy from the water after this test. The mission concluded successfully, achieving several firsts, including orbital insertion, operational satellite deployment, and an orbital reentry sequence.
NASA also plays a direct role in Starship’s development through the Artemis lunar program. The agency selected a modified version of Starship as a Human Landing System for upcoming Artemis missions to the Moon. This version will transport astronauts between lunar orbit and the lunar surface. NASA requires an uncrewed lunar landing demonstration before astronauts can operate the system. Flight 14 was an uncrewed Earth-orbit mission using the standard Starship configuration and carried no crew.