Starship turns 10: first orbital flight and the road to Mars

SpaceX's Starship marked its 10th anniversary: on Sept. 28 the vehicle reached orbit for the first time on its 14th test flight, deploying the first next-gen Starlink V3 satellites. Orbital propellant transfer remains unproven, so the 2026 Mars window is missed — the next opens in late 2028.

• Starship reached orbit for the first time on Sept. 28, its 14th test flight
• Flight 14 deployed the first next-generation Starlink V3 satellites
• Large-scale cryogenic propellant transfer between ships is still untested
• The next Mars launch window opens in late 2028 and runs into early 2029