Starship reaches orbit and deploys Starlink satellites, then ends flight early

SpaceX’s Starship reached Earth orbit for the first time on Monday, 28 September, and deployed 26 of the company’s newer Starlink satellites. The uncrewed vehicle launched from Starbase in Texas on its 14th full-scale test. An upper-stage engine shut down earlier than planned, briefly casting doubt on whether the spacecraft could complete the burn needed for orbit. Engineers then proceeded, and the satellite deployment went ahead, according to Reuters and the Associated Press.

The planned flight called for roughly six orbits over about ten hours, followed by a Pacific splashdown farther south. Controllers instead brought Starship back after about three hours. AP reported that it reentered over the Pacific, splashed down north of Hawaii and caught fire after tipping over. A reason for shortening the mission had not been publicly given in the reporting available at publication.

The orbital milestone matters because SpaceX wants Starship to carry larger groups of Starlink satellites and eventually support NASA’s Artemis lunar programme. Monday’s test showed that the vehicle could reach orbit and release a payload despite an engine problem. It did not demonstrate the full planned duration or a controlled recovery of the spacecraft, so the early return and its cause remain central to the next assessment.