SpaceX's Starship launching to orbit for first time ever today

The first orbital launch of Starship signifies a new era for heavy-lift capabilities, directly impacting future space exploration and commercial satellite deployment.

SpaceX is scheduled to launch its Starship megarocket on its first-ever orbital test flight on Monday, September 28, 2026. The launch window opens at 8:15 a.m. EDT from the Starbase facility in South Texas. This mission, designated Flight 14, aims to send the Starship upper stage, named "Ship," into Earth orbit. During the flight, "Ship" will deploy 26 Starlink Version 3 satellites, marking the beginning of a new, massive constellation in low Earth orbit. The upper stage is expected to orbit the Earth six times before splashing down off the coast of Chile approximately 10 hours after launch. The Super Heavy booster stage is planned to splash down in the Gulf of Mexico about seven minutes post-liftoff. This orbital attempt follows 13 previous suborbital test flights of Starship, which is designed to be fully reusable.

This orbital test flight is a critical step in SpaceX's development of a fully reusable megarocket system. Success today means Starship can begin to fulfill its ambitious goals, including deploying vast satellite constellations and enabling deep space missions.

The ability to deploy 26 satellites in a single launch demonstrates a significant increase in payload capacity for low Earth orbit, potentially reshaping the economics of the satellite internet market. Furthermore, Starship's development as a lunar lander for NASA's Artemis program indicates a pivotal shift in long-duration human spaceflight capabilities.