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SpaceX’s Starship megarocket reached Earth orbit for the first time on Sept. 28, 2025, on its 14th test flight. The Ship deployed 26 next-generation Starlink Version 3 satellites, completed about six orbits, and splashed down in the northern Pacific Ocean nearly 10 hours after launch.
SpaceX’s Starship megarocket reached Earth orbit for the first time on Monday, Sept. 28, a milestone for the most powerful rocket ever built. According to Space.com, the vehicle deployed 26 Starlink Version 3 satellites during the flight — the first members of a planned new megaconstellation — before making a splashdown in the Northern Pacific Ocean. The flight, Starship’s 14th, was the first to go orbital after 13 suborbital test missions dating back to April 2023.
Flight 14 lifted off from SpaceX’s Starbase site in South Texas during a 75-minute launch window that opened at 8:15 a.m. EDT (1215 GMT). The mission sent the 171-foot-tall (52-meter) Ship upper stage into Earth orbit, where it released 26 next-generation Starlink Version 3 internet satellites — the first satellites ever deployed by a Starship, according to Space.com.
The flight profile marked a sharp departure from previous tests. Ship circled the planet six times and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Chile nearly 10 hours after launch. Earlier suborbital missions lasted at most 65 minutes and targeted the Indian Ocean off Western Australia. The Super Heavy booster, as on prior flights, splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico about seven minutes after liftoff.
Space.com reported the outcome as a success, noting the satellite deployment and the ocean splashdown, and pointing readers to video of the vehicle in orbit captured by Starlink. Starship stands 407 feet (124 meters) tall when fully stacked, making it the biggest rocket ever built.
Why First Orbit Matters for Starship
Reaching orbit is the clearest demonstration yet that Starship can perform operational missions, not just flight tests. The deployment of 26 Starlink Version 3 satellites shows the rocket can already carry revenue-generating payloads, and Elon Musk has said the new constellation could eventually grow to 100,000 spacecraft — roughly nine times the approximately 11,000 Starlink satellites SpaceX operates today.
The flight also advances SpaceX’s broader ambitions. Both stages of Starship are designed to be fully and rapidly reusable, which SpaceX has called the “holy grail of rocketry” and views as the key to dramatically lowering launch costs. NASA has selected Ship as the first crewed lunar lander for its Artemis program, targeting a crewed moon landing on the Artemis IV mission in 2028, making each successful test a step toward that schedule.
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Thirteen Suborbital Flights Before Monday
Starship debuted in April 2023 and had flown 13 missions before Monday, all of them suborbital, according to Space.com. Those earlier flights progressively demonstrated booster performance, controlled reentries and ocean landings, and three catches of the Super Heavy booster by the launch tower’s “chopstick” arms — a maneuver SpaceX plans to use operationally for both stages.
The vehicle remains in its flight-test phase despite Monday’s success. Several major capabilities have not yet been demonstrated, including catching the Ship at the tower, transferring propellant between vehicles in space, and the life-support systems required for crewed missions.
“SpaceX successfully launched a Starship into orbit for the first time today, deploying 26 Starlink satellites before making a splashdown in the Northern Pacific Ocean.”
— Space.com (report update, Sept. 28, 12 p.m. ET)
What Flight 14 Did Not Test
Several milestones remain undemonstrated. SpaceX has not yet attempted to catch the Ship with the launch tower’s chopstick arms, having done so only three times with Super Heavy; the company has said that will happen on a later flight. Off-Earth propellant transfer between tanker Ships and a voyaging spacecraft — required for any mission beyond Earth orbit — has also not been shown.
Space.com additionally reported that Ship must be outfitted with a life-support system before crewed missions, which could come relatively soon given NASA’s Artemis plans. Full details of the satellites’ post-deployment status and the precise splashdown condition of the vehicle were not specified in the source report.
Road to Moon Landings and Tanker Flights
Upcoming test flights are expected to tackle the remaining hurdles: catching Ship at the launch tower, demonstrating propellant transfer between Starships in orbit, and building out the Starlink Version 3 constellation with larger batches of satellites. SpaceX also needs to qualify Ship for crews ahead of NASA’s Artemis IV mission, which aims to land people on the moon in 2028 using Ship as the crewed lunar lander. No date for the next flight has been announced.
Key Questions
Did Starship reach orbit for the first time?
Yes. According to Space.com, the Sept. 28 Flight 14 mission was the first Starship flight to reach Earth orbit, after 13 suborbital test flights since April 2023.
What did Starship carry on this flight?
Ship deployed 26 Starlink Version 3 satellites, the first members of a new low-Earth-orbit constellation that Elon Musk has said could eventually number 100,000 spacecraft.
Where did the rocket land?
The Ship upper stage splashed down in the Northern Pacific Ocean after about six orbits and nearly 10 hours in flight. The Super Heavy booster splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico roughly seven minutes after liftoff.
Is Starship now operational?
No. The vehicle remains in its flight-test phase. SpaceX has not yet demonstrated catching Ship at the launch tower, in-space propellant transfer, or the life-support systems needed for crewed missions.
When will Starship carry astronauts?
No crewed flight date is set. NASA has chosen Ship as the first crewed lunar lander for Artemis, targeting a moon landing on the Artemis IV mission in 2028, but the spacecraft must first complete life-support and refueling milestones.
Source: hn
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