SpaceX Starship splashes down after first time in orbit
SpaceX successfully launched its Starship rocket into orbit for the first time, deploying 26 Starlink satellites before ending the flight early for safety reasons. The mission concluded with a dramatic splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
Why it matters
This milestone is a critical step for SpaceX's heavy-lift capabilities and NASA's Artemis moon program goals.
SpaceX launched its enormous Starship into orbit for the first time Monday and successfully delivered the most advanced Starlink satellites yet, but cut the flight short to ensure safety. The spacecraft reentered over the Pacific and splashed down north of Hawaii three hours after blasting off from Texas. The company had been aiming for a 10-hour flight, spanning six full laps around Earth, to prove its readiness for NASA’s Artemis moon program. Starship tipped over and erupted in flames upon splashdown, a dramatic end to the mission. Founder Elon Musk’s Starship almost didn’t make it to orbit when one of its engines shut down prematurely. But with everything else working well and the bad engine no longer needed, flight controllers decided, after several tense minutes, to proceed as planned. “Starship is orbital,” Mission Control announced to cheers.
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