Starship reaches orbit for the first time, but mission ends with explosion in the Pacific after engine failure

Starship, the next-generation rocket developed by SpaceX, entered orbit for the first time on Monday, September 28, although one of its engines shut down prematurely during the flight.

The achievement represents a major success for Elon Musk’s company, as the vehicle also placed its first payload into orbit, consisting of new Starlink satellites.

However, the mission ended about three hours after launch, when Starship landed in the waters of the Pacific Ocean, west of Chile, and exploded. The flight had been expected to last about 10 hours, but was cut short because of the engine problem.

According to Reuters, the unmanned vehicle is about 40 stories tall and consists of the Super Heavy booster and the upper-stage Starship. The launch was carried out from SpaceX’s Starbase facility near Brownsville, Texas.

After Starship lifted off into space, Super Heavy headed toward the Gulf of Mexico, where it attempted a controlled landing using its engines. Meanwhile, the rocket’s upper stage continued its journey toward orbit.

SpaceX’s live broadcast was watched by around two million users of the X platform, while the company also released footage captured from space during the mission.

Difficulties emerged after Starship had already reached space. One of the three main engines shut down much earlier than specified in the flight plan.

During the broadcast, SpaceX spokesperson Dan Huot initially stated that the spacecraft could not reach orbit. Following further analysis, engineers decided to try reigniting the engine in order to carry out the necessary maneuver.

The attempt was successful, and Starship completed the maneuver, entering orbit.

Later, the spacecraft released 26 next-generation Starlink satellites one after another at an altitude of about 269 kilometers.

The mission plan called for Starship to complete six orbits around Earth before re-entering the atmosphere.

Monday’s flight is technically considered Starship’s 14th test, but it was the first to carry a payload into orbit, specifically the new Starlink V3 satellites.

SpaceX says the V3 satellites can process up to 10 times more data than the V2 models. Once Starship begins regular operations, the company aims to send around 60 V3 satellites on a single mission.

Starship was built to increase the launch rate of Starlink satellites, but also to serve future NASA missions to the Moon. Reaching orbit was a delayed objective for SpaceX, as the 13 previous tests conducted since 2023 had remained at the suborbital stage.

Elon Musk had previously stated that Starship would reach orbit as early as 2022 and that satellite launches would begin in 2023. The program is also a key element of NASA’s Artemis initiative, which aims to return astronauts to the Moon’s surface, establish a lasting human presence there and prepare for future exploration missions to Mars.