SpaceX Starship reaches Earth orbit for the first time on 14th test flight

SpaceX’s Starship megarocket reached Earth orbit for the first time on Monday, after lifting off from the company’s Starbase launch site in Texas.

The milestone came on its 14th test flight, marking a crucial step in the development of the vehicle Elon Musk’s company hopes will enable future crewed missions to the Moon and Mars, according to Reuters.

The rocket launched from facilities near Brownsville, alongside the Gulf of Mexico. Comprising the Super Heavy booster and the Starship upper stage, the vehicle stands roughly as tall as a 40-storey building and flew without a crew.

Engine shuts down earlier than planned

The successful arrival in orbit followed moments of uncertainty. One engine shut down prematurely, initially prompting SpaceX spokesperson Dan Huot to announce during the livestream that the spacecraft would not reach orbit. 

Liftoff of Starship! pic.twitter.com/40D8bXSkr2

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 28, 2026

Minutes later, Huot corrected that assessment following an update from engineers. The new information indicated that Starship could still perform a crucial engine burn to reach orbit, a manoeuvre that ultimately enabled it to achieve the milestone.

Ten-hour mission planned with six Earth orbits

The flight plan calls for the spacecraft to complete six orbits around Earth over approximately ten hours, making this its longest flight to date. The mission includes an attempt to deploy its first batch of Starlink satellites and is scheduled to end with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, west of Chile.

These objectives form part of the flight plan and follow the spacecraft’s arrival in orbit. Reaching orbit is itself a fundamental advance for a vehicle designed to transport payloads into space.

Starship milestone follows years of delays

The achievement comes later than Musk initially announced. He had previously targeted 2022 for the first orbital flight and 2023 for operational satellite deployment.

Since flight testing began in 2023, the previous 13 tests had followed suborbital trajectories. The programme has involved almost a decade of development and, according to the published information, more than $15 billion in investment.

Despite the delays, Musk retains his ambition to launch hundreds or thousands of Starships every year. Monday’s flight represents progress towards that goal, although further milestones remain before future crewed missions can take place.