# Starship reaches orbit and deploys 26 Starlink satellites

_Published Monday, September 28, 2026 at 9:40 PM EDT · Infrastructure, Products · Latest · Tier 1 — Major_

![Starship reaches orbit and deploys 26 Starlink satellites — Primary](https://techcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/starship-41-launch.jpg?resize=1200,760)

SpaceX's Starship reached Earth orbit for the first time on Monday and deployed 26 new Starlink satellites. The flight continued after the upper stage lost one of its six engines shortly after separation. SpaceX later decided to bring the stage back sooner than the roughly nine hours originally planned.

The company connected to all 26 deployed satellites, which are intended to serve Starlink customers in the coming weeks. Its Super Heavy booster also performed a simulated landing over water. The orbital flight and satellite deployment advance Starship's role in launching Starlink capacity, although this test ended its planned orbital stay early.

## Sources

- [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/28/spacexs-starship-rocket-reaches-orbit-for-the-first-time/)

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Canonical: https://techandbusiness.org/newswire/Z62Wgo1NgbVJbGNr8GvFnD
Published: 2026-09-29T01:40:45.722Z
Story chronology: 2026-09-28T13:19:18.000Z
Retrieved: 2026-09-29T03:59:41.586Z
Publisher: Tech & Business (techandbusiness.org)