Starship’s first orbit turns a test flight into a Starlink breakthrough
Starship’s first orbit turns a test flight into a Starlink breakthrough
SpaceX had long treated Starship as the vehicle meant to make its internet constellation—and eventually lunar missions—far bigger. Before Monday’s flight, the Federal Aviation Administration had authorized Flight 14’s launch and re-entry operations, while the company set out to attempt orbit and deploy 26 new Starlink V3 satellites.
Before liftoff: Elon Musk signaled the timetable bluntly: “Starship Flight 14 launches in ~30 mins.” At 8:49 a.m. EDT, the 407-foot rocket left Starbase, Texas, powered by 33 Raptor engines and as much as 18 million pounds of thrust.
On ascent: The mission was not flawless. One of Starship’s six Raptor engines shut down prematurely, while two engines on the Super Heavy booster apparently failed at different stages. Mission managers briefly considered skipping the orbital insertion burn. Their caution had a clear purpose: an inability to de-orbit a roughly 100-ton Starship could have created an uncontrolled public-safety hazard.
At orbit: Managers proceeded after determining the engine needed for the maneuver was sound. Its 19-second restart added the final 204 mph needed to establish an orbit about 171 miles above Earth. Musk declared, “First orbital flight of Starship successful!”
Then came the commercial proof. Starship released all 26 V3 satellites—models too large for Falcon 9 and designed to add substantially more capacity to the Starlink network. Musk said the satellites were “deployed and operating nominally.” The payload turns an experimental flight into an early test of Starship’s business case, even as the engine issues highlight the work ahead before frequent operational launches.
At the finish: Super Heavy made a controlled splashdown near the Texas coast, and Starship later splashed down in the Pacific. Musk’s final message: “Splashdown confirmed. Congratulations to the entire SpaceX team on the first orbital flight of Starship!”
Write a comment