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Reusable superheavy-lift general-purpose launch vehicle
Starship is a two-stage, fully reusable, super heavy-lift launch vehicle under development by American aerospace company SpaceX. Currently built and launched from Starbase in Texas, it is intended as the successor to the company's Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets, and is part of SpaceX's broader reusable launch system development program. If completed as designed, Starship would be the first fully reusable orbital rocket and have the highest payload capacity of any launch vehicle to date. As of September 28, 2026, Starship has launched 14 times, with 9 successful flights and 5 failures.
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From satellite deployment to a dramatic fiery finish, catch all the chaotic launch action in this full supercut recap.
The megarocket deployed 26 Starlink satellites on its first revenue-generating flight, but engine trouble cut the mission short by nearly seven hours.
SpaceX’s Starship reached orbit for the first time on Sept. 28 and released 26 Starlink V3 satellites, then cut a planned 10-hour flight to about three hours.