Watch: From launch to fiery splashdown, SpaceX's Starship completes orbit test

SpaceX has completed the 14th test flight of its Starship rocket, with the vehicle launching, deploying satellites in orbit and then coming down in the Pacific Ocean in a fiery splashdown, according to BBC News.

The spacecraft spent roughly three hours circling the Earth before its controlled return, cutting short a mission that had been planned to run for about 10 hours. SpaceX chose to bring the flight to an early close, though the reason for the shortened timeline was not detailed, BBC News reported.

During the flight, Starship released 26 satellites described as "next generation" Starlink V3 units, adding them to the broader Starlink network that already provides broadband internet service around the globe, according to the report.

SpaceX has billed Starship as the most powerful launch vehicle ever built, and the company has said the rocket is intended to eventually ferry both people and supplies to a range of destinations, including low Earth orbit, the Moon and Mars, and potentially even further into the solar system, BBC News noted.

Company plans call for the spacecraft to eventually be capable of transporting as many as 100 passengers on missions spanning long stretches of time between planets, according to the report.

The test adds to a string of Starship flights SpaceX has carried out as it works to refine the rocket's design and demonstrate its reliability. Footage of the launch showed the rocket thundering off the pad before later stages of the mission saw the satellites deployed and the vehicle brought back down over the ocean.

Starship's development has been closely watched given its central role in SpaceX's long-term ambitions, including support for crewed missions envisioned by the company and its founder, Elon Musk. The rocket system has also drawn attention for its scale and its intended reusability, factors SpaceX has said are key to lowering the cost of space travel over time.

BBC News reported the update as part of its ongoing coverage of SpaceX, Musk and broader space exploration efforts based in the United States.