SpaceX's Starship launching to orbit for first time ever today
ThinkingNews Desk · how this was written
SpaceX launched its Starship V3 rocket from South Texas, reaching low-Earth orbit for the first time. During the flight the vehicle lost one Raptor engine after upper-stage separation, yet it deployed 26 next-generation Starlink satellites. The upper stage was de-orbited and safely landed in the Pacific, ending the nine-hour planned orbit.
Written from all 6 reports below, not from any single one.
How it was reported
- Hacker News·SpaceX's Starship launching to orbit for first time ever today
- TechCrunch·SpaceX’s Starship rocket reaches orbit for the first time
SpaceX’s Starship V3 rocket launched from South Texas, lost one Raptor engine after upper-stage separation, but continued and reached orbit, deploying 26 third-generation Starlink satellites. Roughly 1.5 hours into flight, the upper stage was de-orbited and safely landed in the Pacific, ending the nine-hour planned orbit. The mission demonstrated Starship’s potential for reusable commercial launches and expanded the Starlink constellation.
- TechMeme·SpaceX launches its enormous Starship rocket into orbit for the first time, deploying 26 of the most advanced Starlink satellites to join the 11,000 in service (Marcia Dunn/Associated Press)
- The Next Web·SpaceX’s Starship reaches orbit for the first time, then returns early
- Engadget·SpaceX's latest Starship mission reached low-Earth orbit
- Ars Technica·SpaceX's Starship goes orbital, deploying first next-gen Starlinks
SpaceX’s 14th Starship test flight launched from South Texas and achieved low-Earth orbit, the first time the vehicle’s upper stage used full Raptor thrust. The rocket carried 26 new-generation Starlink satellites, which were released from a cargo bay deployer via pulleys and cables. The successful orbital insertion marked the first deployment of next-gen Starlinks from Starship.
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