STARBASE, TEXAS — SpaceX launched its Starship rocket on its 14th test flight from Starbase in South Texas. The launch occurred at 8:49 a.m. EDT (7:49 a.m. local time; 12:49 UTC). The Starship rocket reached Earth orbit for the first time during this mission.

The Super Heavy booster is powered by 33 methane-fueled Raptor engines. The Starship upper stage is powered by six Raptor engines. The Starship rocket stands 407 feet (124 meters) tall.

One of the six Raptor engines on the Starship upper stage failed or shut down during ascent. Flight controllers decided to proceed with the orbital insertion burn despite the engine failure. Engineer Daniel Hewitt announced on the livestream, "Starship is orbital." The flight broke the record for the longest duration Starship had been in space to date.

The Super Heavy booster separated from the Starship upper stage and performed a controlled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. SpaceX ended the Starship upper stage flight early, approximately three hours after launch. The Starship upper stage splashed down in the Pacific Ocean north of Hawaii. The Starship upper stage exploded upon splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman congratulated SpaceX on reaching orbit. "Gorgeous launch, getting Ship to orbit and managing every step in a safe, responsible and especially inspirational way," Isaacman said. Elon Musk stated that if the spacecraft breaks apart over land, "our popularity would diminish very rapidly." SpaceX plans to use Starship to carry astronauts to the moon for NASA's Artemis program. SpaceX is building a variant of Starship to serve as a lander for Artemis astronauts.

Why It Matters

The successful orbital insertion marked a milestone for the SpaceX Starship launch system, which is designed to transport both passengers and cargo to destinations including Earth orbit, the Moon, and Mars. The vehicle is intended to enable long-duration interplanetary flights with passengers. Reaching orbit demonstrates the capability of the super heavy-lift space vehicle composed of the Starship spacecraft stacked atop its Super Heavy booster.

This achievement supports future missions under NASA's Artemis program, for which SpaceX is developing a Starship variant to serve as a lunar lander. The deployment of 26 Starlink V3 satellites also expanded the constellation, which currently includes approximately 11,000 active units. The mission demonstrated resilience by proceeding with orbital insertion despite an engine failure during ascent.

Timeline

SpaceX has discussed plans for a future public offering. The Federal Aviation Administration issued a license authorization for the SpaceX Starship Super Heavy Flight 14 launch and reentry operations.

Later that day, Mission Control announced, "Starship is orbital." SpaceX deployed 26 Starlink V3 satellites into orbit during the flight. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman congratulated SpaceX on reaching orbit, stating it was a "Gorgeous launch, getting Ship to orbit and managing every step in a safe, responsible and especially inspirational way."

What's New

Additional reporting indicates that SpaceX COO Gwynne Shotwell stated the company plans to launch AI compute satellites into orbit in 2027. The Federal Aviation Administration issued a license authorization for the SpaceX Starship Super Heavy Flight 14 launch and reentry operations on September 26. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman congratulated SpaceX on reaching orbit, saying it was a "Gorgeous launch, getting Ship to orbit and managing every step in a safe, responsible and especially inspirational way." SpaceX has two Super Heavy-Starship pads at its Starbase facility in Texas and three more under construction in Florida. SpaceX announced plans to build a launch facility in Louisiana with the goal of sending Starship from there beginning in 2029.

How Sources Differ

Sources differ on details regarding SpaceX satellite operations. The SpaceX corporate filing states that SpaceX operates approximately 11,000 active Starlink satellites in orbit.