SpaceX sends giant Starship into orbit for the first time but ends the flight early

SpaceX launched its Starship rocket into orbit for the first time on Monday. The rocket, which is 40 stories tall, lifted off at 7:48 a.m. local time from Starbase, Texas, according to Mashable. One of the six engines on the upper stage quit firing moments after launch, but SpaceX flight controllers decided to proceed with the orbital insertion engine burn.

The rocket successfully reached orbit and began deploying 26 upgraded Starlink satellites about 35 minutes after liftoff, with all expected to be deployed roughly an hour into the flight, as reported by the South China Morning Post. This test flight, Starship's 14th, marks a significant milestone for SpaceX as it advances the development of Starship toward refueling in space and full reusability.

The mission was cut short, however, with the flight expected to last around 10 hours. Despite the early engine failure, the team decided to press on with the attempt, burning one of Starship's Raptor engines to put the vehicle in orbit for the first time, as per the South China Morning Post.

Brief written by urgent.news from CBC News, Mashable, South China Morning Post, Guardian Science, Dawn — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.