Starship reaches orbit for the first time and releases 26 satellites

SpaceX’s Starship reached orbit for the first time on Monday and released 26 Starlink satellites. The rocket lifted off from Starbase in Texas. It was the 14th full-size Starship flight in three years. Earlier flights only went briefly into space. This time, Starship traveled on a path around Earth, about 170 miles above it. “Starship is orbital,” Mission Control said. Orbit means a path around Earth.

One engine stopped too soon as the rocket rose. The other parts were working, so flight controllers continued. Starship then released the 26 new satellites. They were meant to join 11,000 older Starlink satellites that provide internet service.

SpaceX planned a 10-hour flight with six trips around Earth. Instead, Starship returned after about three hours and only a couple of trips. It came down in the Pacific, north of Hawaii. It tipped over and burst into flames on splashdown. SpaceX did not say why it ended the flight early.

Starship is designed to fly again, and reusing it could lower launch costs. NASA plans to use Starship as a lander in its Artemis moon program. It would carry astronauts from another spacecraft down to the Moon. Reaching orbit is important for that plan, but Starship did not finish the longer test SpaceX planned.