SpaceX Starship Reaches Orbit and Deploys New Starlinks
SpaceX's Starship successfully reached low-Earth orbit for the first time on Monday, deploying the company's next-generation Starlink satellites.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- SpaceX successfully launches Starship into low-Earth orbit
- The flight completes the final one percent missing from previous attempts
- Next-generation Starlink satellites are deployed during the mission
SpaceX's heavy-lift development program has achieved a major milestone as the Starship rocket successfully reached low-Earth orbit for the very first time on Monday, closing the gap on previous test flights that had gotten agonizingly close.
In prior test flights, the giant vehicle had already proven it could cover 99 percent of the distance required to reach low-Earth orbit. Monday's flight officially added that remaining fraction, successfully pushing the rocket into a stable orbital trajectory.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Along with marking the historic orbital breakthrough, the mission carried out the deployment of SpaceX's first batch of next-generation Starlink satellites, boosting the deployment capacity and capabilities of the global internet constellation.
Achieving orbital insertion for Starship represents a pivotal turning point for SpaceX's deep space ambitions. The ability to routinely reach orbit with a fully reusable heavy-lift vehicle is essential for deploying massive payloads like the next-gen Starlinks and supporting future crewed missions to the Moon and Mars.
Source: Ars Technica
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