SpaceX's Starship Rocket Reaches Orbit for First Time in Historic Milestone
SCMP · 3 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
SpaceX's Starship rocket achieved orbit for the first time on Monday morning, marking a watershed moment for the aerospace programme after engineers overcame an early engine failure that had briefly threatened the mission. The 40-story-tall vehicle lifted off from the Starbase launch site in South Texas carrying 26 next-generation Starlink V3 satellites, representing both a technical triumph and a commercial milestone for the company.
Key Points
- Starship launched at 7:49am local time from SpaceX's Starbase facility in South Texas, Texas, embarking on a nearly 10-hour test flight
- One of the rocket's six Raptor engines cut out during ascent, causing SpaceX engineers to temporarily call off the orbital attempt before pressing ahead after reviewing data
- The upper stage reached orbit at approximately 275 kilometres altitude and is planned to complete about six orbits before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean west of Chile
- The Super Heavy booster is scheduled to splash down in the Gulf of Mexico, while the mission deployed 26 production-quality Starlink V3 satellites to join the existing 11,000-plus spacecraft network
- Monday's flight was Starship's 14th test launch, with all previous space launches purposely falling short of orbit for safety; US regulators have now approved orbital flights
Why It Matters
This successful orbital flight opens the door to regular Starship missions, potentially revolutionising satellite deployment and eventually enabling crewed missions to the Moon and Mars. For Hong Kong, the expanded Starlink network promises improved satellite internet coverage across the territory, particularly beneficial for remote areas and as a backup communications option during severe weather events .
This successful orbital flight opens the door to regular Starship missions, potentially revolutionising satellite deployment and eventually enabling crewed missions to the Moon and Mars. For Hong Kong, the expanded Starlink network promises improved satellite internet coverage across the territory, particularly beneficial for remote areas and as a backup communications option during severe weather events .