SpaceX2026-09-28 16:14:18Starship Reaches Orbit for the First Time, Deploys 26 Starlink V3 Satellites Before Early SplashdownSpaceX’s Starship completed its first true orbital mission on Sept. 28, lifting off from Starbase in Texas at 8:48 p.m. Taiwan time during the vehicle’s 14th test flight. Roughly 25 minutes after launch, Starship reached Earth orbit and later deployed 26 third-generation Starlink, or Starlink V3, satellites. SpaceX said the mission marked the first orbital flight in the history of the Starship program. The flight did not follow the full original plan. According to reports cited by ABMedia, one of the six engines on the upper stage shut down during ascent, and SpaceX spokesperson Dan Huot briefly said the company would forgo orbital insertion before saying, 「We’re not giving up yet,」 as the team continued the mission. The Super Heavy booster completed a controlled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico about seven minutes after liftoff, while Starship later deorbited and splashed down in the North Pacific. The company had initially planned for Starship to remain in orbit for about 7.5 hours and finish the nearly 10-hour mission off the coast of Chile. SpaceX instead chose an early return after evaluating the vehicle at the first orbital checkpoint. The company has not explained the reason for the change.320
SpaceX2026-06-20 00:32:00SpaceX Accounts for About 86% of Global Launch Upmass in Q1 as Musk Says Starship Could Widen the GapGlobal launch upmass reached about 647,000 kilograms in the first quarter of 2026, up 18% year on year. SpaceX ranked first with 556,000 kilograms, more than 13 times the second-place operator and about 86% of the global total.520
SpaceX2026-06-20 00:32:00SpaceX Accounts for About 86% of Global Orbital Lift in Q1, Musk Says Starship Could Widen LeadIn the first quarter of 2026, global space launch upmass totaled about 647,000 kilograms, up 18% year on year. SpaceX ranked first with 556,000 kilograms, or roughly 86% of global capacity. Elon Musk said that once Starship reaches hourly launches, SpaceX’s orbital upmass would be about 100 times that of all other operators combined, even if they tripled their current launch rates.560
