SpaceX's next-generation Starship rocket reached Earth orbit for the first time on Monday, deploying a batch of 26 new Starlink satellites, even though one of the spacecraft's engines shut down unexpectedly midflight, Reuters reported.
The uncrewed vehicle — a 40-story-tall combination of a Super Heavy booster and the Starship upper stage — lifted off from SpaceX's Starbase complex near Brownsville, Texas, on its 14th test flight since 2023.
Mid-flight scare
After the upper stage reached space, one of its engines shut down earlier than planned. SpaceX spokesman Dan Huot said on the company's live stream that the team had decided not to commit to orbit, before reversing course minutes later when engineers confirmed the spacecraft could still attempt its orbital insertion burn. Starship then fired its remaining engine and entered orbit successfully.
Once in orbit, the spacecraft began releasing the 26 Starlink V3 satellites one by one at an altitude of roughly 269 km. "Payload deploy complete. All 26 @Starlink V3 satellites are in orbit," SpaceX posted on X. Elon Musk wrote that all 26 were "deployed and operating nominally".
Mission cut short
The mission was planned to last 10 hours and six Earth orbits, but was reduced to about three hours after the engine problem, Reuters reported. The flight ended with a controlled, fiery touchdown in the Pacific Ocean west of Chile. The Super Heavy booster returned to Gulf of Mexico waters for an engine-controlled splashdown, though some of its engines stopped working during descent, SpaceX said.
The flight marks a major milestone for a programme whose 13 earlier flights all remained on suborbital trajectories. Starship was built to launch Starlink satellites more frequently and to carry future NASA missions to the Moon. Musk has said the vehicle is "2 to 3 years away from hourly flights".
Sources: LA Post (Reuters): SpaceX's Starship makes orbital debut deploying Starlinks before early ending · Free Malaysia Today: SpaceX's Starship reaches orbit for the first time, deploys Starlink satellites
The uncrewed vehicle — a 40-story-tall combination of a Super Heavy booster and the Starship upper stage — lifted off from SpaceX's Starbase complex near Brownsville, Texas, on its 14th test flight since 2023.
Mid-flight scare
After the upper stage reached space, one of its engines shut down earlier than planned. SpaceX spokesman Dan Huot said on the company's live stream that the team had decided not to commit to orbit, before reversing course minutes later when engineers confirmed the spacecraft could still attempt its orbital insertion burn. Starship then fired its remaining engine and entered orbit successfully.
Once in orbit, the spacecraft began releasing the 26 Starlink V3 satellites one by one at an altitude of roughly 269 km. "Payload deploy complete. All 26 @Starlink V3 satellites are in orbit," SpaceX posted on X. Elon Musk wrote that all 26 were "deployed and operating nominally".
Mission cut short
The mission was planned to last 10 hours and six Earth orbits, but was reduced to about three hours after the engine problem, Reuters reported. The flight ended with a controlled, fiery touchdown in the Pacific Ocean west of Chile. The Super Heavy booster returned to Gulf of Mexico waters for an engine-controlled splashdown, though some of its engines stopped working during descent, SpaceX said.
The flight marks a major milestone for a programme whose 13 earlier flights all remained on suborbital trajectories. Starship was built to launch Starlink satellites more frequently and to carry future NASA missions to the Moon. Musk has said the vehicle is "2 to 3 years away from hourly flights".
Sources: LA Post (Reuters): SpaceX's Starship makes orbital debut deploying Starlinks before early ending · Free Malaysia Today: SpaceX's Starship reaches orbit for the first time, deploys Starlink satellites
