Do You Know? SpaceX’s Starship has reached Earth orbit for the first time, marking a major milestone for the company’s most ambitious rocket program.
The achievement came during a Monday morning launch from South Texas. The rocket reached orbit and deployed 26 new Starlink satellites, but the mission changed course after the upper stage lost one of its six Raptor engines.
What happened during the flight?
Starship’s launch initially proceeded as planned. After the upper stage separated, however, SpaceX reported that one engine had stopped working. The rocket was still capable of reaching orbit without that engine, according to the report, but the company briefly called off the attempt before deciding several minutes later to continue.
The upper stage ultimately reached orbit and successfully deployed all 26 third-generation Starlink satellites. The satellites connected to the Starlink network and are expected to begin servicing customers in the next few weeks.
Why the mission ended early
SpaceX had planned for the upper stage to orbit Earth six times over roughly nine hours. About 1.5 hours into the flight, the company instead decided to bring it back to Earth early.
“Flight teams will deorbit Starship safely to our pre-cleared area of the Pacific Ocean after 3 hours in orbit,” SpaceX wrote on X, according to the report.
The early return meant the mission did not follow its original nine-hour plan, but it still achieved the central objective of reaching orbit and deploying the satellites.
Progress for the booster
The Super Heavy booster also made progress during the test. After separating from the upper stage, it returned toward the Gulf Coast and performed a simulated landing over the water.
The report described it as SpaceX’s cleanest simulated landing with the V3 version of Starship, which the company began testing in May.
Why it matters
Reaching orbit could move SpaceX closer to using Starship for regular commercial missions. It also advances the company’s stated goal of making the vehicle fully reusable.
Starship is central to SpaceX’s plans for NASA moon missions and other proposed applications, including placing data center satellites in orbit. The upgraded V3 Starlink satellites are described as more powerful than earlier versions, and SpaceX has said one full Starship launch of V3 satellites could add as much network capacity as 20 launches of its smaller V2 satellites on Falcon 9.
What happens next?
The source reports that SpaceX plans to continue developing Starship for frequent launches. Elon Musk has said he wants the vehicle to fly thousands of times per year, while the company plans a new Starbase launch complex in Louisiana. SpaceX has said construction there will begin next year and that it plans to invest $100 billion in the facility.
The flight was the third test of Starship V3, with the tests occurring roughly two months apart. The report also says it was the second Starship launch since SpaceX became publicly traded.
Bottom Line
Starship’s first orbital achievement is a significant step for SpaceX, even though the mission involved an engine failure and an early return. The rocket demonstrated that it could reach orbit and deploy 26 Starlink satellites, while the booster showed additional progress toward recovery.
Source
This report is based on information published by TechCrunch.
