SpaceX’s Starship has reached orbit for the first time, despite one of its engines shutting down early during a launch from the company’s Starbase complex in Texas.
The uncrewed, 40-storey vehicle lifted off from the site on the Gulf of Mexico near Brownsville. It comprises a Super Heavy booster topped by the Starship upper-stage spacecraft.
The mission is the most ambitious yet for the next-generation rocket, which was attempting to deploy its first batch of Starlink satellites. SpaceX also intends for Starship to support future missions to the Moon.
During a live broadcast, SpaceX spokesman Dan Huot initially said the vehicle would not be able to reach orbit after the engine problem. Minutes later, however, engineers confirmed that Starship could still carry out a crucial engine firing to propel it into orbit.
Starship reaches a long-delayed milestone
Starship was expected to complete six orbits of Earth during a 10-hour flight, its longest mission so far, before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean west of Chile.
Reaching orbit marks a major milestone for any new rocket designed to deliver payloads into space. Elon Musk had previously predicted that Starship would achieve the feat in 2022, with satellite deployments to follow in 2023.
All 13 of the rocket’s previous test flights since 2023 had remained in suborbital space. Its development has lasted nearly a decade and cost SpaceX more than 15 billion US dollars (21 billion Australian dollars), according to the information provided.
Mr Musk has said he ultimately wants to fly hundreds or thousands of Starships each year, a launch rate that would be unprecedented in the space industry.
