SpaceX Starship Reaches Orbit for the First Time on 14th Flight
Starship completes major milestone despite engine failure during test mission
TEXAS: SpaceX’s Starship achieved a major milestone on Monday by reaching orbit for the first time during its 14th test flight, despite an unexpected engine shutdown during the mission.
The uncrewed rocket lifted off from SpaceX’s Starbase facility near Brownsville, Texas. The 40-storey vehicle consists of the Super Heavy booster and the upper-stage Starship spacecraft.
The mission was initially planned to continue for around 10 hours. However, an engine problem forced SpaceX to shorten the flight to approximately three hours.
After launch, the Super Heavy booster successfully carried the Starship spacecraft into space before beginning its return to the Gulf of Mexico. The booster completed a controlled splashdown, although SpaceX reported that some of its engines stopped operating during the descent.
The Starship spacecraft also faced an issue after reaching space when one of its three main engines shut down earlier than expected.
Initially, SpaceX officials indicated that the problem could prevent the spacecraft from completing its planned orbital manoeuvre.
However, engineers later determined that Starship could still attempt an engine burn needed to enter orbit. The spacecraft successfully carried out the manoeuvre, allowing it to achieve orbit for the first time.
During the flight, Starship also deployed its first group of new Starlink satellites.
The successful orbital milestone comes as SpaceX continues testing the next-generation vehicle with the aim of moving toward regular Starship operations later this year.
The latest flight followed two previous missions in which the Super Heavy booster experienced hard landings. The latest controlled splashdown represented another step in SpaceX’s effort to develop a reusable launch system.
Despite the engine problem, the mission provided SpaceX with important flight data and marked the first time Starship successfully reached orbit.
