The tallest and most powerful rocket ever built blasted off from SpaceX's Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas on Monday (Sept. 28) at 8.49 a.m. ET (7.49 a.m. local time).
Liftoff of Starship! t.co/40D8bXSkr2September 28, 2026
However, after successfully deploying 26 Starlink V3 satellites, SpaceX decided not to leave Starship up in space for the remainder of the mission, which was originally expected to last 10 hours.
SpaceX called this mission, Starship's Flight 14, the company's "most ambitious launch to date" during its livestream. Prior to this launch, Starship had only flown suborbitally, and this was SpaceX's first attempt to send its flagship rocket into orbit. The company said reaching orbit represents the "next phase" for Starship toward becoming a fully reusable rocket.
Shortly after launch, Starship's booster separated and safely splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico. Then the problems started. Starship had lost one of its engines. Initially, commentary on SpaceX's livestream suggested that officials planned to abandon the push for orbit, but after several tense minutes, they confirmed the attempt was a go.
The mission also tested the Starship's booster, which had experienced some hardware and software modifications after Flight 13.
The last two flights, in March and July 2026, saw successful launches and controlled landings but experienced booster problems.
Starship exploded after splashing down in the Pacific. (Image credit: SpaceX)To the moon?
NASA wants to take astronauts to the moon in its Orion spacecraft, as tested in the Artemis II mission. Once in lunar orbit, the crew is then supposed to rendezvous with a commercial lander, which will take the astronauts to the surface and launch them back up to Orion for the trip home.
RELATED STORIESSpaceX has been developing a moon-landing variant of its Starship for that job. With rival Blue Origin (whose New Glenn rocket dramatically exploded in May) lagging behind, the Artemis program's success could be tied to Starship's.
There are some doubts about whether NASA will be ready by then. But today's Starship issues also leave key questions about whether SpaceX can meet the tight deadline.
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