SpaceX Starship reaches orbit for the first time and deploys 26 Starlink V3 satellites

SpaceX flew its Starship rocket into orbit for the first time on September 28, 2026. On the vehicle's 14th test flight, the upper stage deployed 26 third-generation Starlink satellites, the first time the rocket has delivered an operational payload, according to Spaceflight Now and SpaceQ.

The launch

Starship Flight 14 lifted off from Pad 2 at Starbase, Texas, on the morning of September 28. Spaceflight Now reported that the Super Heavy booster's 33 methane-burning Raptor engines powered the 400-foot-tall rocket away from the pad.

Both stages were flying for the first time. SpaceQ identified the upper stage as Ship 41 and the first stage as Super Heavy Booster 21. After separation, the booster performed a boost-back burn and splashed down vertically a few miles offshore in the Gulf, according to Spaceflight Now, which noted that one of its engines apparently shut down early during that maneuver.

An engine problem on the way up

One of Ship 41's six Raptor engines shut down early during the climb. SpaceQ reported that flight controllers held the ship for about 20 minutes while they reviewed its systems, then authorized the burn that would take it to orbit. Spaceflight Now said mission control cleared the vehicle to proceed.

Before the flight, SpaceX's Dan Hewitt had described the company's cautious approach. "We've got the saying, only the paranoid survive. That's going to be in full effect today," he said, as quoted by SpaceQ.

Satellites deployed

Once in orbit, Ship 41 began releasing Starlink satellites about 34 minutes after liftoff and deployed all 26 over roughly the next half hour, SpaceQ reported. SpaceX says the new satellites carry far more capacity than earlier versions. According to SpaceQ, the company said that "one full Starship load moves about as much bandwidth as 10 Falcon 9 launches of the older satellite version."

SpaceQ also reported that two heat-shield tiles flown on the previous Starship mission were reused on Ship 41, the first reflown tiles on the vehicle.

Return to Earth

After about three hours in flight, the ship performed a controlled vertical descent and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean north of Hawaii at 11:57 a.m. EDT, according to Spaceflight Now.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman praised the flight. "Gorgeous launch, getting Ship to orbit and managing every step in a safe, responsible, and especially inspirational way," he said, as quoted by Spaceflight Now.

Why it matters

This was the first time in 14 test flights that Starship reached orbit and the first time it carried an operational payload. It was also the first deployment of third-generation Starlink satellites, which SpaceX says add far more network capacity per launch than the older satellites flown on Falcon 9. Flight 14 showed that the full system could reach orbit, release satellites and bring both stages down in controlled splashdowns, even after losing an engine during ascent.

Sources

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.