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Starship reaches orbit on Flight 14, deploys 26 Starlink V3 satellites and splashes down near Hawaii
SpaceX's Starship went orbital for the first time on Monday, deployed all 26 Starlink V3 satellites, then ended the flight early with a Pacific splashdown north of Hawaii about three hours after launch.
Why it matters: Orbit and a live Starlink V3 deployment are the steps SpaceX needs before tower catches, reuse and Artemis lander work.
Illustration: Starship's first orbit and the Starlink V3 release.
Beam42 / AI-generated
Starship reached orbit for the first time on Monday. Flight 14 lifted off from Starbase, Texas, at 7:48 a.m. CT (5:48 a.m. PT), and about 25 minutes later the ship was in orbit, Space.com reported. "Starship is orbital," mission control called out.
The climb had a tense stretch. One of the ship's six engines shut down during ascent, and SpaceX took time to check the vehicle before continuing. About 22 minutes into the flight the team cleared the orbital burn, NPR reported. CBS News said a single Raptor firing then completed the climb to orbit. The Super Heavy booster flew back toward the Texas coast and made a controlled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.
The ship then deployed all 26 Starlink V3 satellites, the first operational satellites launched on Starship, per CBS News. Three of them carry cameras to photograph the ship's heat shield, NPR reported.
SpaceX had planned a flight of about 10 hours and six orbits, ending off Chile. At its first checkpoint, about 90 minutes in, SpaceX chose to end the flight early and bring the ship home after about three hours, the BBC reported. The deorbit burn started about 2 hours 12 minutes into the flight, around 8:01 a.m. PT, and the ship splashed down in the Pacific north of Hawaii at about 8:58 a.m. PT (BBC, NPR).
Confirmed
- First orbital flight of Starship, Flight 14, Monday, Sept. 28, 2026 (Space.com, NPR).
- One of six ship engines shut down on ascent; the orbital burn was cleared about 22 minutes in (NPR, CBS News).
- All 26 Starlink V3 satellites deployed (CBS News, NPR).
- Booster controlled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico (Space.com, CBS News).
- Flight shortened to about three hours; Pacific splashdown north of Hawaii (BBC, NPR).
Not confirmed
- Why SpaceX took the early exit at the first checkpoint. The company has not given a detailed reason.
- What the heat shield images and reentry data show.
What to watch
- SpaceX post-flight findings on the ascent engine shutdown and on reentry.
- Whether the next flight tries to catch the ship at the tower, which SpaceX has not yet attempted (CBS News).
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