SpaceX launches Starship’s 1st orbital flight test

SpaceX on Monday launched the world’s largest and most powerful rocket and spacecraft on a mission that marks the first time the spacecraft has achieved orbit.

If the company’s 14th test flight goes as planned, it will also be the first Starship mission to make money for SpaceX. The company successfully deployed 26 Starlink satellites into orbit to build out its satellite internet division, SpaceX’s primary revenue generator. 

The flight lifted off at 8:50 a.m. ET from SpaceX’s Starbase in Cameron County, Texas. The launch was initially scheduled for 8:15 a.m. ET but that was pushed Monday morning to 8:48 a.m. ET. Flight controllers had a 75-minute launch window to get the spacecraft off the pad.

Despite losing one engine during the ascent to space, which was not needed to achieve orbit, the spacecraft successfully executed its orbital insertion burn.

Just over a half-hour into the mission, Starship began deploying its payload of 26 Starlink V3 satellites, marking the first time that the Starlink satellites have been placed into orbit for ongoing use. Previous missions deployed either Starlink simulators or satellites that burned up in the atmosphere.

The mission is scheduled to last just under 10 hours, and SpaceX is aiming for about six orbits. However, the mission includes built-in abort opportunities, and SpaceX could end the flight early if it encounters an issue. If SpaceX can get Starship into orbit, the spacecraft will be traveling about 17,500 mph, more than 170 miles above Earth. 

Starship lifted off atop the vehicle’s Super Heavy booster, which separated from from the spacecraft after launch and performed a boostback burn, designed to change its direction so it can return to Earth. After the landing burn, the booster successfully splashed down in the Gulf.

Starship will start its flight on what SpaceX calls a “passively safe” suborbital/free-return path. This is the same trajectory the company used for previous missions.

If a problem occurs early in the flight, the free-return trajectory provides a built-in abort option without requiring any additional maneuver. The spacecraft would reenter over the Indian Ocean and splash down.

The flight plan includes regular vehicle health checks during the flight. SpaceX says Starship has more than 500 sensors that measure things such as temperature, pressure and acceleration during the mission. In addition, the vehicle provides flight controllers with continuous telemetry data.

If problems arise, Starship can deorbit early and splash down in the ocean.

At the end of the mission, Starship will perform a deorbit burn using a single Raptor sea-level engine to prepare to reenter Earth’s atmosphere. SpaceX says the spacecraft will splashdown in the Pacific Ocean to the west of Chile.

If the flight ends early because of a technical or mechanical issue, the splashdown location could change.