Starship Reaches Orbit on Flight 14 (Sep 2026)
event
SpaceX's Starship reached orbit for the first time on its 14th test flight.
Who they are
SpaceX's Starship, Flight 14[1].
What they do
On Monday, September 28, 2026, SpaceX mission control announced "Starship is orbital" despite an engine failure.
How it works
ABC reported a revenue-generating payload deployment and return to Earth, with booster and ship engine problems. Ars said a planned 10-hour flight was cut to three hours after a Raptor engine failed during ascent.
Why it matters
It is filed as a news event under NASA Artemis Program (Isaacman-era).
The engine's record — word for word
2026-09-28 (Monday): Al Jazeera: SpaceX mission control announced "Starship is orbital" on Monday's livestream. Space.com: "SpaceX launches Starship into orbit for 1st time". Reuters: reached orbit on 14th test flight despite engine failure. 2026-09-28: Starship Flight 14: ABC: first Starship orbit, revenue-generating payload deployment and return to Earth; booster and ship engine problems. Ars: planned 10-hour flight cut to three hours after Raptor engine failed during ascent. [Live pass Oct 6 2026]
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