SpaceX launched Starship in first orbital flight

The company SpaceX on 28 September 2026 sent the Starship rocket system into its 14th test flight, which became the first attempt to put the system into orbit.

The launch took place from the Starbase site in the US state of Texas. The test configuration included the first stage Super Heavy B21 and the Starship spacecraft S41. As reported by the SpaceX flight control center, the device successfully reached low Earth orbit at an altitude of about 275 kilometers.

After separation, the Super Heavy booster made a controlled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico approximately seven minutes after launch. As part of the flight, the deployment of 26 Starlink V3 satellites began, three of which are equipped with cameras to monitor the condition of the ship's heat shield.

Initially, it was planned that Starship would spend about 10 hours in orbit, make six revolutions around the planet, and splash down in the Pacific Ocean. Later, SpaceX decided to shorten the flight duration to three hours due to the failure of one of the six engines when entering orbit.