SpaceX Starship Reaches Orbit and Deploys 26 Next-Generation Starlink Satellites During Test Flight

SpaceX achieved a major milestone on Monday, September 28, 2026, when its 14th Starship test flight reached low-Earth orbit for the first time. Lifting off from Starbase in South Texas, the world’s most powerful launch vehicle used its Raptor engines to generate up to 18 million pounds of thrust. During the flight, Starship deployed 26 next-generation Starlink V3 broadband satellites into a stable orbit at an altitude of approximately 171 miles.

Each Starlink V3 platform adds 1 terabit per second of capacity to the network, and SpaceX confirmed that its satellite team successfully established contact with all 26 spacecraft after separation. Despite the successful orbit insertion, mission managers noted the apparent failure of two Raptor engines on the Super Heavy booster during the flight.

Out of an abundance of caution, the flight control team limited the time spent in orbit and proceeded with a de-orbit maneuver, leading to Starship's planned splashdown in the northern Pacific Ocean. Moving forward, SpaceX expects to integrate the new Starlink V3 capabilities into its network and plans to host a Starship launch from a new pad at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida before the end of the year.