SpaceX's Starship Achieves First Orbit, Deploys Satellites

On September 28, 2026, SpaceX's Starship achieved a significant milestone by reaching orbit for the first time during its 14th full-scale test flight. The more than 120-meter-tall rocket lifted off from Texas, successfully separating from its Super Heavy booster and entering orbit approximately 26 minutes after launch.

Initially, the mission was expected to last about 10 hours, with plans for the spacecraft to orbit Earth six times and deploy 26 next-generation Starlink satellites. However, the mission was shortened after the successful deployment of the satellites.

Kathleen Curlee, a senior analyst at Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology, described the second burn to achieve orbit as “the hardest part” of the flight. SpaceX aims for a circular orbit approximately 275 kilometers above Earth, requiring speeds of about 28,000 kilometers per hour.

The Super Heavy booster fell into the Gulf of Mexico after separation, and this achievement underscores SpaceX's ongoing efforts to develop a fully reusable rocket system.