SpaceX launched Starship on Monday from Starbase, Texas, sending the 14th flight of the Starship-Super Heavy system on its first attempt to reach orbit. The mission was set up as the vehicle’s first operational satellite deployment test, with 26 Starlink V3 satellites planned for release during an expected 10-hour flight ending in the Pacific Ocean west of Chile.
The launch window opened at 7:15 a.m. Central Time, and the company had prepared a live webcast shortly before liftoff. The Federal Aviation Administration cleared the mission on 26 September, authorising launch and reentry operations after 13 earlier suborbital flights. The flight profile called for six Earth orbits, part of SpaceX’s push toward routine service later this year.