🚨Starship Lost an Engine—But Still Made History.
SpaceX’s Starship achieved a major milestone on September 28, 2026, reaching Earth orbit for the first time during Flight 14. The mission launched from Starbase, Texas, United States marking the first orbital flight in Starship’s test program.
🔥 The flight wasn’t without problems. One Raptor engine on the Super Heavy booster shut down during the initial ascent, while a Raptor vacuum engine on the Starship upper stage also shut down earlier than planned. The vehicle’s remaining engines compensated well enough for the mission to continue.
🛰️ Starship then performed its first successful orbit-insertion burn and deployed 26 next-generation Starlink V3 satellites. Contact was established with all 26 satellites after deployment.
🌎 The mission was later shortened as a precaution because of the earlier engine issue. Starship successfully performed its first deorbit burn before reentering Earth’s atmosphere and splashing down in the northern Pacific Ocean.