SpaceX lifted off with the 14th test flight of its Starship rocket on Monday, marking the first attempt to reach Earth orbit. The mission carries a payload of 26 Starlink V3 satellites to be deployed once the vehicle reaches its target trajectory. Before launch from Starbase, Texas, teams loaded the spacecraft with approximately 12 million pounds of liquid oxygen and liquid methane.

The orbital attempt follows 13 previous test flights focused on system validation. Starship is required for the expansion of the Starlink satellite network, which the company reported as its only profitable business segment as of the second quarter.