SpaceX rocket reaches orbit despite engine trouble

SpaceX's newly developed Starship rocket successfully reached orbit during its 14th flight test, overcoming an initial engine malfunction to deploy a batch of Starlink satellites. The uncrewed 40-story-tall vehicle, comprising a Super Heavy booster and the Starship vessel, blasted off from SpaceX's Starbase complex near Brownsville, Texas.

Despite one of Starship's three main engines shutting down prematurely, engineers managed to resume the engine firing, allowing the craft to reach orbit. Once in space, Starship began deploying 26 new Starlink satellites into a designated orbit of approximately 269km. The mission, the rocket's first orbital test, marks a significant milestone for SpaceX, as reaching orbit had been a long-awaited goal for the spacecraft.

Starship, designed to be fully reusable, aims to lower launch costs, expand Starlink services, and support future NASA lunar missions. The successful test flight, valued at hundreds of millions of dollars, is crucial for SpaceX's profitability and investor confidence, as the company's market valuation has risen sharply following a record-breaking IPO in June.