SpaceX's Starship reached Earth's orbit for the first time during its 14th test flight on 28 September, released 26 Starlink satellites and returned to the Pacific Ocean after completing two orbits.
The flight marked a major step in SpaceX's effort to develop a reusable spacecraft for satellite launches and future Moon and Mars missions. However, the mission ended earlier than planned after flight controllers detected an engine problem.
SpaceX had planned to keep Starship in orbit for approximately 10 hours and have it circle Earth six times. The plan was changed during the flight after an engine malfunction was detected. Controllers chose to bring the spacecraft back earlier citing safety considerations.
Starship completed two orbits before finally re-entering the atmosphere. It returned over the Pacific Ocean and splashed down north of Hawaii about three hours after leaving Texas.
The spacecraft was expected to travel at about 28,000 km/hr. while in orbit. The mission's original plan involved an altitude of roughly 275 km and a final splashdown in the Pacific near Chile, but the shortened flight altered that plan.
The lower section of the launch system, known as the Super Heavy booster, returned separately to the Gulf of Mexico. The recovery of both major sections is part of SpaceX's wider plan to make Starship a reusable system.
Why it matters?
This was Starship's first successful orbital mission after earlier test flights remained on suborbital paths. Reaching orbit gave SpaceX new data about the spacecraft's engines, flight controls, satellite deployment system and atmospheric re-entrry.
The spacecraft is bring developed for large satellite launches and future deep-space missions. SpaceX also hopes Starship will support lunar missions and eventually crewed flights.
The achievement was not a complete success against the original mission plan, Starship completed only two of the planned six orbits and remained in flight for about three hours instead of 10. Engineers will need to examine the engine problem and the spacecraft's return before the next test.
