SpaceX’s Starship Reaches Orbit for First Time on Flight 14
publishers 36articles 45first reported 26 Sep, 13:00 UTCdeveloping since 26 Sep · 5 editions
SpaceX’s Starship reached low-Earth orbit for the first time Monday during its 14th uncrewed test flight, deploying 26 Starlink V3 satellites before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean north of Hawaii.
The spacecraft launched from SpaceX’s Starbase facility at Boca Chica Beach, Texas, at 7:48 a.m. Central time atop a Super Heavy booster powered by 33 engines. Starship separated from the booster about two and a half minutes later. One of Starship’s six engines failed during ascent, but mission managers determined about 22 minutes after liftoff that the vehicle could continue into orbit.
SpaceX shortened the mission after the engine failure. The company had planned a flight lasting nearly 10 hours and six orbits at an altitude of about 170 miles, but reduced it to approximately three hours before reentry. Starship then completed its Pacific splashdown.
The Super Heavy booster conducted a simulated landing offshore in the Gulf of Mexico rather than returning to the launch site for a tower catch. The flight tested booster upgrades and Starship’s heat shield, with three deployed satellites carrying cameras to observe the vehicle during reentry.
SpaceX said it established contact with all 26 newly deployed satellites. The Federal Aviation Administration had granted SpaceX an orbital launch license for the mission.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 6 articles, 2 with the publisher's own text; 6 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 42 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
- Publishers
- 36
- Source articles
- 45
- Given to the writer
- 6, 2 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 6
- This version written
- 42 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- kept as written
- Publication gate
- passed
- Human review
- none
Written by a language model from the sources above, then checked by a second model that may only cut, attribute or correct. How it works →