Starship reached orbit for the first time Monday as SpaceX advances plans to send spacecraft to the Moon and eventually Mars.
The 407-foot rocket launched from Texas and reached orbit despite an engine shutting down earlier than planned. With the remaining engines performing normally, flight controllers continued the mission.
Starship carried 26 next-generation Starlink satellites into orbit, adding to SpaceX’s network of more than 11,000 satellites. It reached an altitude of about 170 miles and traveled at roughly 17,500 mph.
However, SpaceX ended the flight much earlier than planned. The company had targeted a 10-hour mission with six trips around Earth but brought Starship back after only a few laps.
The early splashdown allowed SpaceX to limit the mission’s risk while still testing key systems in orbit. Starship splashed down north of Hawaii and tipped over before catching fire.
The test marked Starship’s 14th full-scale launch and its first successful orbital flight, moving SpaceX closer to using the vehicle for NASA’s Artemis Moon missions.