The flight was planned for about ten hours and six Earth orbits, but it was ended after just over three hours, with the spacecraft splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.

An engine shut down shortly after liftoff, yet mission controllers decided to keep the vehicle on its trajectory and continue the test, announcing “Starship is orbital.”

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman congratulated SpaceX, saying the mission was managed safely and responsibly and that it is directly relevant to the Artemis moon program.

The test was designed to prove Starship’s readiness for NASA’s Artemis missions and for future lunar and Mars exploration. The first‑stage booster was never meant to return to the launch site; it fell into the Gulf of Mexico shortly after liftoff.