On 28 September 2026, SpaceX carried out the launch of Starship Flight 14 from Starbase in Texas. This was the first full-fledged orbital flight of the system.
The rocket lifted off at 7:48 in the morning local time. Super Heavy with 33 Raptor engines 3 lifted Starship, after which hot-staging and stage separation occurred.
The upper stage successfully performed its orbital insertion and delivered 26 Starlink V3 satellites into orbit. These are the first operational payloads delivered by Starship.
The mission did not go without its nuances: one engine on the booster shut down at liftoff. Nevertheless, the flight continued, and the satellite deployment objectives were accomplished.
The flight, which had been planned for ten hours, was shortened. Starship splashed down in the Pacific Ocean north of Hawaii approximately three hours after liftoff.
The booster splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico. Both elements of the mission completed their flight in a controlled manner.
For SpaceX, this is an important step: Starship has for the first time proven its ability to deliver real satellites to orbit. How will this affect the pace of Starlink deployment and NASA's plans for the Moon?
Previously, the flights were predominantly test in nature. Now the system is moving on to practical tasks, including commercial launches.
NPR noted that the success of Flight 14 brings Starship closer to its role as a key element both for SpaceX's business and for the Artemis lunar missions.
