SpaceX launches Starship on first orbital flight attempt

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SpaceX Starship Flight 14 prepares to launch at SpaceX Starbase in Starbase, Texas, United States, September 28, 2026. /CMG

SpaceX's giant Starship spacecraft lifted off from the company's Starbase facility in the United States on Monday, marking the 14th test flight of the heavy-lift launch vehicle and its first attempt to enter Earth orbit.

The rocket lifted off at about 7:48 a.m. Central Time (1248 GMT) from SpaceX's launch site in southern Texas.

During the flight, Starship is planned to travel around Earth about six times over a period of nearly 10 hours before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean near Chile.

Unlike future missions designed to demonstrate the vehicle's full reusability, neither the Starship booster nor the spacecraft will be captured and recovered during this test flight.

The mission is intended to further test Starship's capabilities in a near-orbital flight and provide data for the development of the fully reusable launch system.

Starship, consisting of a first-stage booster and a spacecraft, is designed by SpaceX for missions to Earth's orbit and beyond.

(With input from Xinhua)

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