SpaceX launched its full Starship-Super Heavy stack for the first time, reached 39 kilometers, and ended the flight early by design and safety rules.
See the video below.
Story Snapshot
- Starship lifted off from Starbase, Texas, on April 20, 2023, after federal approval.
- The vehicle climbed to about 39 kilometers over the Gulf of Mexico, a program high.
- The Federal Aviation Administration license allowed the orbital test attempt.
- The flight ended when the system broke up and was terminated several minutes after liftoff.
What launched, who cleared it, and why it mattered
SpaceX conducted the first integrated launch of its Starship upper stage atop the Super Heavy booster from Boca Chica, Texas, on April 20, 2023.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued SpaceX a commercial launch license on April 14, which cleared the company to attempt the orbital-class test within a five-year license term.
The stack stood nearly 400 feet tall and aims to move heavy cargo and crews, including future lunar missions. This first flight would set the baseline for the system’s power, plumbing, and control.
SpaceX reported liftoff at 8:33 a.m. Central Time. The vehicle cleared the tower and began its ascent over the Gulf of Mexico. SpaceX later said the flight reached an apogee of about 39 kilometers, the highest altitude for Starship at that time.
That milestone marked the first time the full stack left the pad and climbed through max aerodynamic pressure in one piece. For a test this large, pad departure itself is a core milestone.
SpaceX starship lands in fiery blaze in ocean after test flight pic.twitter.com/4ZJICeMa1L
— CSPAN (@cspan) September 28, 2026
How the timeline unfolded in the air
Engines lit, thrust built, and the vehicle lifted away cleanly, validating months of structural and systems work. As the stack climbed, teams watched engine performance, guidance, and pressurization. SpaceX described ascent progress through early milestones before the vehicle lost stability and began to tumble.
The combined ship and booster later broke apart, and the flight termination system ended the mission several minutes after liftoff, in line with range safety rules and standard practice for test flights. Reuters also reported the breakup minutes after liftoff.
Federal regulators had framed the event as an orbital launch attempt, not a promise of orbit. The license authorized the try; the mission profile aimed to gather data across ignition, max pressure, staging, and upper-stage operations.
Actual orbit was not achieved on this first attempt, and SpaceX’s own post-flight notes focused on liftoff and the peak altitude reached. That difference matters because programs learn step by step, and test plans often end short of full mission goals.
What the license did—and did not—promise
The Federal Aviation Administration license confirmed that SpaceX met safety and environmental thresholds to attempt the launch window. It did not mean the mission would reach orbit or land hardware.
Reuters and space industry outlets stressed that the long-awaited license opened the door to an “inaugural” flight from Starbase and allowed SpaceX to proceed with its debut attempt of the giant vehicle system.
The license term ran five years, with scope for one flight unless modified, according to federal documentation later summarized to Congress.
🚀 SpaceX’s Starship reaches orbit for the first time!
SpaceX’s Starship reached orbit for the first time on Monday during its 14th test flight, despite one of its engines shutting down early during the ascent. 🌎🛰️
The spacecraft then deployed 26 next-generation Starlink… pic.twitter.com/fWaSs4qx4L
— Bolt+ (@boltplus) September 29, 2026
After the flight, attention shifted to debris analysis, pad damage, and software and hardware changes before the next attempt.
The Federal Aviation Administration later described the April 2023 event as a mishap and required a standard investigation before return to flight, as is routine after a vehicle breakup.
SpaceX characterized the test as a data-rich step, citing the climb to the program’s highest altitude and full-stack liftoff as key outcomes. From a common-sense, results-first view, both can be true: the mission ended early, and the team banked data to fix what failed next time.
Sources:
youtube.com, spacex.com, reuters.com, spaceflightnow.com, en.wikipedia.org
