Starship Reaches Orbit, Deploys 26 Starlink V3 Satellites

Overview

• SpaceX’s 14th integrated Starship test reached Earth orbit on Monday, Sept. 28, 2026, and deployed 26 Starlink V3 satellites after controllers compensated for an early shutdown of one upper‑stage Raptor engine.
• The Super Heavy booster separated and performed a controlled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico, but telemetry shows several booster engines failed during descent and recovery plans were not completed as designed.
• Three of the launched Starlink V3 satellites carried heat‑shield imaging gear to record reentry conditions, and engineers are reviewing those and other onboard camera feeds to diagnose the engine anomaly and thermal performance.
• Reports differ about the mission’s length and terminal sequence with some outlets saying the flight was cut short to roughly three hours and others describing a planned near‑10‑hour, six‑orbit profile; SpaceX and flight teams are analyzing telemetry to reconcile those accounts.
• The result advances SpaceX’s goal of using Starship for commercial Starlink launches and future NASA lunar missions, but the engine failures underline work remaining to prove reliable propulsion and rapid reusability.