SpaceX sends Starship megarocket into orbit

• SpaceX’s Starship megarocket reached orbit for the first time in its 14th flight and deployed new Starlink satellites on September 28.

• The uncrewed mission was scheduled to last 10 hours, but was reduced to three after one of Starship’s three main engines shut down prematurely following separation from the spacecraft's lower-stage Super Heavy booster rocket.

• The 40-storey-tall vehicle, consisting of a Super Heavy booster rocket topped by the main upper-stage Starship vessel, was launched from SpaceX’s Starbase complex along the Gulf of Mexico near Brownsville, Texas.

• Once in orbit, Starship deployed 26 next-generation Starlink V3 satellites one by one at an altitude of roughly 269 km.

• Starlink is a satellite internet constellation operated by SpaceX.

• Following payload deployment, Starship entered into a coast phase around Earth. 

• The flight control team decided to limit the duration spent on orbit and proceeded with deorbiting Starship to a splashdown location in the northern Pacific Ocean. 

• This area was one of two pre-coordinated landing zones identified before launch that was cleared of sea and air traffic.

• Founded by Elon Musk in 2002, SpaceX is a private American space transportation and services company that designs, manufactures, and launches rockets, spacecraft, and satellites.

• Starship is SpaceX’s next-generation launch vehicle.

• It was built to launch SpaceX’s Starlink satellites more frequently and carry future NASA missions to the Moon.

• Immense technical challenges remain before Starship can be considered ready for commercial flights or to reach the Moon or Mars.