SpaceX has completed the first orbital flight of its next-generation heavy-lift rocket Starship, lifting off from Starbase in Texas and deploying 26 Starlink V3 satellites before returning to Earth, Space.com reported. The mission saw engine shutdowns on both the upper stage and the Super Heavy booster, but the flight continued. The booster splashed down in a controlled manner in the Gulf of Mexico, and the spacecraft later splashed down in the Pacific off Chile.

SpaceX put Starship into orbit for the first time on Sept. 28 and deployed 26 next-generation Starlink V3 satellites, but ended the mission earlier than planned after engine problems. The vehicle reached a low Earth orbit of about 276 km and later re-entered over the Pacific for a splashdown north of Hawaii. Starlink V3 is larger than what Falcon 9 can carry, and SpaceX said it established communications with all 26 satellites after separation.