---
title: "SpaceX Releases Historic Footage of Starship's First Orbital Launch"
description: "SpaceX published footage of the historic 14th Starship launch, during which the spacecraft reached orbit for the first time and deployed 26 Starlink V3 satellites."
date: 2026-09-29T15:59:30.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/spacex-releases-historic-footage-starship-orbital-launch
tags: [spacex, starship, starlink, elon-musk, space-exploration]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# SpaceX Releases Historic Footage of Starship's First Orbital Launch

![SpaceX Starship rocket launch into orbit](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/29/spacex-pokazala-kadry-pervogo-zapuska-starship-na-orbitu/spacex-pokazala-kadry-pervogo-zapuska-starship-na-orbitu-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Starship successfully reached low Earth orbit for the first time during its 14th test flight.
- 26 new Starlink V3 satellites with a total throughput of up to 26 Tbps were deployed into orbit.
- The flight ended with a controlled splashdown in the Pacific Ocean to collect valuable telemetry data.

SpaceX has released unique photographs of the Starship heavy-lift rocket system launch, which took place on September 28, 2026, at the Starbase spaceport in Texas. The published images provide a detailed look at the powerful Raptor engines operating and the launch complex infrastructure during the 14th test flight. This launch has become a major milestone in the history of modern astronautics, marking the company's transition to the practical operational use of the system.

### Technical Breakthrough and Orbital Success

During this complex mission, the upper stage of the Starship spacecraft successfully reached low Earth orbit for the first time in history. This achievement was not stopped even by a technical complication that arose during the flight — the premature shutdown of one of the Raptor engines. Company engineers note that successfully reaching orbit after a series of previous suborbital tests proves the reliability and flexibility of the incorporated design solutions.

### Contradictory Data

Despite the overall triumph of the mission and SpaceX's official reports on the successful payload deployment, discrepancies regarding the final stage of the flight appeared in independent sources. Thus, some European media outlets, citing unconfirmed operational reports, reported a possible explosion or abnormal situation after splashdown or during the final descent phase. At the same time, the company's official releases and specialized technical publications claim that the spacecraft deorbited nominally and performed a controlled splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

### Deployment of Starlink V3 Satellites

An important component of the 14th flight was the execution of the first operational payload delivery task. The spacecraft successfully deployed 26 new Starlink V3 communication satellites into orbit, with stable communication quickly established with all units. Service representatives emphasized that this batch will significantly expand the capabilities of the global network, adding up to 26 Tbps of total throughput. Each individual V3 unit is capable of providing up to 1 Gbps on the downlink and up to 160 Gbps on the uplink.

### Prospects and Future Plans

 After successfully completing all assigned tasks, Starship prematurely concluded its flight and performed the planned splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. The colossal array of telemetry data obtained will be thoroughly analyzed by SpaceX specialists to prepare for future launches. The development of this fully reusable transport system paves a direct path for ambitious crewed missions to the Moon and the colonization of Mars.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [SpaceX показала исторические кадры первого запуска Starship на орбиту](https://www.ixbt.com/news/2026/09/29/438977-spacex-pokazala-istoriceskie-kadry-pervogo-zapuska-starship-na-orbitu.html) - Официальные данные о запуске и выведении спутников Starlink V3.
- [Технологический прорыв и взрыв после посадки: сверхтяжёлый Starship Маска впервые вышел на орбиту](https://www.rfi.fr/ru/%D0%B2-%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%80%D0%B5/20260929-%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%85%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%B8%D1%87%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%80%D1%8B%D0%B2-%D0%B8-%D0%B2%D0%B7%D1%80%D1%8B%D0%B2-%D0%BF%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BB%D0%B5-%D0%BF%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%BA%D0%B8-%D1%81%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%80%D1%85%D1%82%D1%8F%D0%B6%D1%91%D0%BB%D1%8B%D0%B9-starship-%D0%BC%D0%B0%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0-%D0%B2%D0%BF%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B2%D1%8B%D0%B5-%D0%B2%D1%8B%D1%88%D0%B5%D0%BB-%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B1%D0%B8%D1%82%D1%83) - Упоминание нештатной ситуации/взрыва после посадки в независимых источниках.
- [SpaceX lanzó su enorme Starship a la órbita por primera vez, pero acortó el vuelo por seguridad](https://www.mcall.com/2026/09/28/spacex-lanz-su-enorme-starship-a-la-rbita-por-primera-vez-pero-acort-el-vuelo-por-seguridad/) - Подтверждение успешного выхода на орбиту и сокращения полета в целях безопасности.
- [SpaceX porta Starship in orbita. Flight 14 debutta con gli Starlink V3](https://formiche.net/2026/09/spacex-porta-starship-in-orbita-flight-14-debutta-con-gli-starlink-v3/) - Детали 14-го полета и развертывания Starlink V3.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: When did Starship achieve its first orbital flight?
**A:** The launch took place on September 28, 2026, at the Starbase spaceport in Texas during the 14th test flight.

### Q: What payload did the spacecraft deploy?
**A:** Starship successfully delivered 26 next-generation Starlink V3 communication satellites into orbit.