Starship Flight 15 deploys 26 Starlink satellites in orbit

Starship has reached orbit on Flight 15 and finished deploying all 26 Starlink V3 satellites. Super Heavy splashed down offshore in the Gulf after diverting from a tower catch. The ship is now in a coast intended to last about 21 hours.

All 26 Starlink V3 satellites are in orbit. Deployment began after the ship reached orbit and ran for about 42 minutes. The sequence is complete, and every satellite in that payload is now in orbit.

A single Raptor burn put the ship into an orbit of about 275 kilometers. The ascent burn ended with the ship on a planned suborbital path while teams checked systems. A short burn with one Raptor engine then completed orbital insertion. This is the second time a Starship has entered orbit around Earth.

Super Heavy diverted from a tower catch. After hot-staging, the booster's engines were firing and it was boosting back toward Starbase for a catch. It then diverted to an offshore splashdown in the Gulf.

The ship is in a long coast around Earth. Teams will monitor its systems over the next 21 hours that the flight is intended to remain in orbit. A few early deorbit options are available if they are needed. All systems are looking good right now.

The coast is the planned stretch, not an end to the flight. Early deorbit options remain on the table if teams need to bring the ship down sooner. The intended stay is about 21 hours, with systems reported in good shape at the start of the coast.