SpaceX's Starship 14 lifts off from the launch pad at Starbase in Boca Chica Beach, Texas. [AFP]
SpaceX's Starship 14 lifts off from the launch pad at Starbase in Boca Chica Beach, Texas. [AFP]

SpaceX's Starship rocket successfully entered Earth orbit for the first time on Monday (local time).

Reuters and Bloomberg reported that Starship lifted off at 7:49 a.m. from the Starbase launch site in Texas on a test flight. The mission had originally been scheduled for Sept. 22 but was delayed by about a week. During the ascent, one of the six Raptor engines shut down earlier than planned, briefly casting doubt on whether the vehicle could reach orbit as the failure was caught on a live broadcast. SpaceX engineers conducted an emergency review of flight data, however, and determined that a key engine re-ignition needed for orbital insertion was still achievable, allowing the mission to proceed.

SpaceX successfully deployed 26 next-generation Starlink V3 satellites during the flight. After the deployment, the company said all the satellites placed in orbit were in good condition and operating smoothly.

It was the first time SpaceX had placed a vehicle into orbit. All 13 previous flights since the first test in 2023 had been suborbital. Reaching orbital insertion — widely regarded as the critical threshold in rocketry — has led some observers to conclude that SpaceX's technology has crossed the threshold for commercialization.

The mission stands out not only as a technical milestone but also as a revenue-generating operation aimed at expanding SpaceX's satellite network. The V3 satellites deployed carry more than 10 times the communications capacity of the existing V2 satellites, and SpaceX is counting on them to drive growth in its communications business.

SpaceX plans to use Starship to launch Starlink satellites more efficiently, while continuing to pursue crewed exploration missions to the moon and Mars.


kate01@heraldcorp.com