SpaceX Starship reaches orbit on 14th test flight, then returns early

SpaceX’s Starship reached Earth orbit for the first time on Monday, a milestone for the rocket intended to carry larger Starlink satellite batches and support future lunar missions. The uncrewed vehicle deployed 26 satellites, but its 14th test flight ended about three hours after launch rather than following a plan for six orbits over nearly 10 hours.

The rocket lifted off from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Texas at 7:48 a.m. local time on September 28. It consists of the Starship spacecraft atop a Super Heavy booster. The booster separated and returned to Gulf of Mexico waters in an engine-controlled splashdown, according to Reuters and the Associated Press.

An engine shutdown and a change of course

After Starship reached space, one of its engines shut down earlier than planned. Reuters reported that SpaceX spokesperson Dan Huot initially told viewers of the company’s live stream that the team would not commit to orbit. Engineers then determined that an engine firing remained possible, and the team reversed the call.

Starship completed the firing and entered orbit. Daniel Hewitt, an engineer narrating the live stream, declared, “Starship is in orbit,” The Guardian reported. The reversal meant that a problem which had threatened the central objective of the flight did not prevent the orbital attempt from going ahead.

A shorter flight than planned

The original plan called for six circuits of Earth and a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean west of Chile after nearly 10 hours. SpaceX instead brought the spacecraft back early. The Associated Press reported that Starship reentered over the Pacific and splashed down north of Hawaii about three hours after launch, after roughly a couple of laps.

The Associated Press reported that the spacecraft tipped over and erupted in flames at splashdown. Its report said SpaceX had given no reason for shortening the flight. The available reporting does not establish whether the earlier engine shutdown prompted the decision to return, so the two events should not be treated as cause and effect.

SpaceX had not planned to recover the Starship spacecraft from the Pacific, Reuters reported. The splashdown therefore does not, by itself, show whether a recovered vehicle could have been reused. The reported outcome establishes that Starship reached orbit and deployed satellites, while its planned six-orbit journey was cut short.

Why reaching orbit matters

All 13 previous Starship test flights since 2023 had followed suborbital paths, according to Reuters. Reaching orbit is a central step for a rocket designed to deliver payloads around Earth. Monday’s flight demonstrated that capability during a test, although it did not complete the mission profile SpaceX had planned for the day.

The system is intended to launch Starlink satellites more frequently and to support future NASA missions to the moon. Reuters reported that SpaceX says the new V3 satellites can handle 10 times more data than its earlier V2 mini satellites. That performance figure is the company’s claim about the satellites, rather than a result established by this flight.

Martin Barstow, a professor of astrophysics and space science at the University of Leicester, called reaching orbit “an important milestone” in comments reported by The Guardian. He said it marked the beginning of a transition from testing and development toward a vehicle able to carry the large payloads needed for a return to the moon. His assessment concerns the significance of reaching orbit; the early end to this flight leaves further testing ahead.

Starship’s return remains a separate part of that work. Reuters described a planned deorbit engine firing, atmospheric reentry and controlled descent as critical objectives for the 14th flight. The Associated Press reported a splashdown after the shortened mission, but the reporting available here does not establish a firm date or outcome for another test.