STARBASE, Texas: SpaceX's next-generation Starship rocket reached orbit for the first time on September 28, despite an unexpected engine shutdown, and overcame the problem to deploy its first batch of new Starlink satellites.

However, the mission was cut short, ending several hours earlier than planned.

The launch marked a major test for the rocket as the company works toward future Moon and Mars missions and NASA's Artemis program.

The spacecraft came close to falling short of its goal after one of its engines shut down earlier than planned. However, the other systems continued to work properly, and flight controllers decided to continue the mission for several tense minutes.

"Starship is orbital," Mission Control announced as people at the SpaceX launch site in Texas cheered.

The rocket, developed by SpaceX founder Elon Musk, is the largest and most powerful rocket ever built. During the flight, it carried 26 of the company's newest Starlink satellites. The satellites were released one after another to join about 11,000 older Starlink satellites already providing internet services.

The launch was Starship's 14th full-scale test from Starbase at the southern tip of Texas over the past three years. Earlier flights traveled only as far as the Indian Ocean, roughly halfway around the world. Several ended with the spacecraft breaking apart or crashing after briefly reaching space.

For this flight, SpaceX planned to send Starship around Earth six times at an altitude of about 170 miles (275 kilometers). The mission was expected to last almost 10 hours before the spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean near Chile.

The first-stage booster was not designed to return to the Starbase launch site. Instead, it was expected to fall into the Gulf of Mexico several minutes after launch.

SpaceX wants to make sure the spacecraft can complete the mission safely before attempting to return it to the launch site. Musk has said the company is being careful because debris from a failed spacecraft could fall over populated areas.

Musk has said the chances of successfully catching the spacecraft are about even or slightly better. If the attempt succeeds, SpaceX could fly the spacecraft again by the end of this year or early next year.

The 407-foot (124-meter) rocket was designed to be fully reusable, which SpaceX says will help reduce launch costs.

In July, SpaceX recovered the previous Starship from the Indian Ocean. Engineers inspected the spacecraft and used their findings to modify the heat shield of the newly launched vehicle. The recovered spacecraft is now being transported back to Starbase.

SpaceX is working to make Starship ready for regular orbital missions, an important step toward its plans for Moon and Mars exploration.

NASA's Artemis III mission could take place as soon as next summer. The mission is expected to involve three launches and a series of dockings in Earth orbit between an Orion spacecraft carrying astronauts and two competing lunar landers.

Jeff Bezos' Blue Moon lander is expected to launch first, followed by Orion. Starship would then launch and dock with Orion after Blue Moon separates from the spacecraft.

The following mission, Artemis IV, is scheduled for no earlier than 2028. Astronauts could land on the Moon using either Blue Moon or Starship, depending on which spacecraft is ready first. Later lunar missions are expected to alternate between the two landers.

For now, SpaceX is focusing on lunar missions and plans to use Starship to carry large numbers of satellites into orbit. The company eventually plans to reduce its reliance on the Falcon 9 rocket.

A second Starship launch site is nearing completion at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, while a third site is planned in Louisiana.