SpaceX's 14th uncrewed Starship test flight successfully entered Earth orbit for the first time on September 28, 2026, from its Starbase facility on the Gulf of Mexico coast ^[2][4]. The mission, launched to demonstrate readiness for NASA's Artemis lunar program, was cut short by a failure of one of three main Raptor engines following booster separation ^[1][3]. Professor Chris Lintott noted that the primary lunar landing plan relies on this rocket, which has suffered repeated test failures ^[5]. The flight occurred while astronaut Sunita Williams, who retired from NASA in January 2026 after her final space flight on the 2024 Starliner mission, was no longer active in the program ^[6][7].