STARBASE, TEXAS — SpaceX's Starship, the most powerful rocket ever developed, successfully launched Monday from Starbase, Texas, reaching orbit and deploying 26 operational Starlink satellites. However, the mission concluded earlier than planned after one of the spacecraft’s Raptor vacuum engines shut down prematurely during ascent, SpaceX said in a statement on Flight 14.
Despite the engine issue, Starship's flight control team maneuvered the vehicle into orbit by burning the remaining five Raptor engines for an extended duration. The decision to cut the mission short was made during the coast phase around Earth.
The spacecraft then survived its return through Earth’s atmosphere, performing a controlled landing burn in the Pacific Ocean. This splashdown created a fireball over the water, a more intense event than the softer landing observed during the previous flight in July.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman congratulated SpaceX on the launch. NASA is relying on Starship for a test flight next year, which is essential for the agency’s next moon landing mission. This places pressure on SpaceX to ready the vehicle.
Isaacman also addressed the status of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft at a news conference Monday. Starliner previously experienced a nine-month ordeal in 2024 during a test mission to the International Space Station, which was intended to last only one week. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were ultimately brought home by SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule.
SpaceX plans to retire its Falcon rockets and Dragon capsules as Starship becomes operational. This strategic shift could position Boeing's Starliner as the sole option for transporting astronauts to low-Earth orbit, given Starship's primary design for deeper space missions.
Isaacman acknowledged Starship's utility, citing opportunities for new scientific telescopes, national security applications and the orbital economy. Despite these deep space ambitions, he emphasized the ongoing priority of transporting astronauts to the International Space Station.
NASA officials outlined a roadmap for Starliner, with an uncrewed test flight targeted for December. A subsequent flight with astronauts could occur as soon as mid-2028, signaling a continued reliance on Boeing for certain crew transport needs even as SpaceX pushes its deep-space capabilities.
