Updated September 28, 2026 at 11:00 AM CDT
SpaceX launched its Starship spacecraft from the company's Starbase facility from Boca Chica Beach in Texas, on a critical test flight that sent the 171-foot-tall vehicle into orbit for the first time.
At 7:48 a.m. CT, Starship's Super Heavy booster ignited its 33 rocket engines to send the spacecraft on its 14th flight. Two-and-a-half minutes after launch, Starship separated from the booster and continued into space. One of the six engines on Starship failed during ascent, prompting SpaceX to decide whether to continue to orbit. About 22 minutes into the flight, the team decided it was safe to do so.
Super Heavy is designed to be reusable by returning to its launch site, where it is caught by the launch tower. This booster, however, simulated a landing offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. SpaceX is testing upgrades to the booster's software and hardware during this flight. No one is on board for this mission.
SpaceX had planned a 10-hour flight including six orbits around the Earth at an altitude of about 170 miles. But after launch, mission managers decided to cut the flight back to three hours. Previous Starship flights have been suborbital. Starship 14 is the first time the vehicle will reach orbital speeds — about 17,500 mph. SpaceX says this mission's launch profile included portions that would allow Starship to abort its orbital trajectory and return to Earth safely.
During its flight, SpaceX deployed 26 Starlink V3 next-gen satellites into its constellation of thousands of internet satellites that provide broadband access worldwide. SpaceX regularly launches Starlink satellites from Florida and California using its Falcon 9 rocket, but announced the final mission from Florida last month with plans to use Starship from Florida's Space Coast in the future.
Starship splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, north of Hawaii. Eventually, SpaceX wants to recover the spacecraft and reuse it.
SpaceX is testing key systems of the Starship vehicle, like its heat shield. Three of those Starlink satellites have cameras installed to capture data on Starship's heat shield. Surviving reentry is key to SpaceX's plans for spacecraft reusability.
The company is betting on Starship to continue its growth. It's the only spacecraft that can launch the larger V3 version of its Starlink satellites. In its filings to the FEC ahead of SpaceX's IPO in June, the company underscored Starship's role in its plans for growth. "Any failure or delay in the development of Starship at scale or in achieving the required launch cadence, reusability and capabilities thereafter would delay or limit our ability to execute our growth strategy," it reads.
Starship is also key to NASA's plan to return humans to the moon. The agency tapped SpaceX to develop Starship as a human landing system to transport astronauts to the lunar surface for future Artemis missions. NASA is planning to test the ability to dock its Orion human space capsule to Starship, along with another commercial lander designed by Blue Origin during Artemis III, which is slated to launch late next year.
SpaceX announced plans to build a massive facility in Louisiana, aiming to launch Starship. The company says the $100 billion investment includes plans for dozens of launch pads with the goal of sending Starship from Starbase, La., beginning in 2029.
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