Starship Reaches Orbit for First Time, Splashdown Cuts Flight Short

SpaceX's Starship rocket reached orbit for the first time on Monday, marking a major step for the vehicle that the company and NASA hope will eventually carry people to the Moon and Mars. The flight, however, was cut short for safety reasons, ending with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean north of Hawaii about three hours after liftoff from Starbase, Texas.

The company had planned a roughly 10-hour mission covering six full orbits of Earth, ending with a splashdown near Chile. Instead, flight controllers opted to bring the spacecraft back after only a couple of laps once it had achieved a stable orbit at about 170 miles (275 kilometres) altitude and a speed of 17,500 mph (28,000 kph).

The mission nearly faltered early when one of Starship's engines shut down prematurely. With the remaining systems performing well and the failed engine no longer required, controllers decided after several tense minutes to continue as planned. "Starship is orbital," mission control announced, to cheers.

During its time in space, the spacecraft released 26 of the latest Starlink internet satellites, which joined roughly 11,000 older models already in service. The deployment drew further applause from crowds gathered at the launch site.

The first-stage booster was not intended to return to the launch pad on this flight and instead fell into the Gulf of Mexico minutes after liftoff. The upper stage performed a deorbit burn lasting about eight to ten seconds before re-entering the atmosphere over the Pacific. It splashed down and then tipped over and erupted in flames, a dramatic conclusion captured on camera.

A SpaceX spokesperson described the landing as not quite as soft as the previous splashdown, but confirmed the spacecraft had reached the water. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman congratulated the company on reaching orbit and on managing each stage of the flight in what he called a safe, responsible and inspirational way.

It was the 14th full-scale launch of Starship from southern Texas in three years. Earlier test flights had stayed within the Indian Ocean region, often ending in crashes. The vehicle, standing 407 feet (124 metres) tall, is the largest and most powerful rocket ever built and was designed from the outset to be fully reusable, a goal seen as central to lowering launch costs.

Engineers modified the heat shield on this Starship based on inspections of the spacecraft recovered from the Indian Ocean in July, which is being towed back to Starbase. Depending on data from Monday's flight, the next Starship could attempt a return to the launch pad, where giant mechanical arms would catch it. If that succeeds, SpaceX aims to refly the spacecraft by the end of the year or early next year.

The company is working to certify Starship for orbital operations as part of preparations for NASA's Artemis programme. The Artemis III mission, planned for as soon as next summer, envisions a docking exercise in Earth orbit involving an Orion capsule carrying astronauts and competing lunar landers built by SpaceX and Blue Origin. Later missions would see astronauts land on the Moon using whichever lander is ready first, with subsequent flights alternating between the two vehicles.

SpaceX also plans to use Starship to carry satellites into orbit in large batches, phasing out its Falcon 9 rocket over the coming years. A second launch site is nearing completion at Florida's Kennedy Space Center, with a third planned for Louisiana.