SpaceX’s Starship reaches orbit for the first time
The 14th test flight marked a major step for the giant reusable rocket, with Starship also deploying 26 next-generation Starlink satellites before ending the mission early
SpaceX’s Starship reached Earth orbit for the first time on Monday, completing a major milestone in the development of the company’s next-generation reusable spacecraft.
The 14th Starship test flight lifted off from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in South Texas. The spacecraft reached orbit roughly 26 minutes after launch, marking the first time the Starship system had achieved an orbital trajectory after 13 earlier flights were flown on suborbital paths.
Once in orbit, Starship successfully deployed 26 next-generation Starlink V3 satellites. The satellites are designed to significantly increase the capacity of SpaceX’s internet network, with each satellite expected to add about 1 terabit per second of capacity.
The mission did not proceed entirely as planned. One of Starship’s engines shut down earlier than expected, prompting SpaceX to shorten the planned flight. The spacecraft had originally been expected to remain in space for nearly 10 hours and complete about six orbits, but the mission ended several hours earlier.
Despite the shortened mission, Starship completed its orbital insertion and returned to Earth, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean. The Super Heavy booster also separated from the spacecraft and attempted its own controlled return.
The successful orbital flight is an important step toward SpaceX’s goal of making Starship fully and rapidly reusable. The company is developing the vehicle for a range of missions, including large satellite deployments and future human spaceflight.
Starship is also central to NASA’s plans for future lunar missions, with the agency working with SpaceX on a version of the spacecraft intended to serve as a lunar lander for Artemis missions.
