SpaceX places Elon Musk's Starship in orbit for the first time and deploys 26 Starlink V3 satellites

On September 28, 2026, SpaceX conducted its 14th test flight of the Starship launcher from Starbase, Texas, reaching orbit for the first time after thirteen suborbital tests. The spacecraft deployed 26 Starlink V3 satellites, which are more powerful than previous versions, before safely returning to the Pacific Ocean after three hours in orbit, cutting short the planned ten-hour mission. This marks the first time a vessel of this size has reached orbit and is the second Starship flight since SpaceX’s IPO.