SpaceX’s showpiece Starship rocket reaches orbit for first time
Founder Elon Musk's rocket, the largest ever built, is meant to carry NASA mission to moon and beyond.
The largest rocket developed by SpaceX has successfully reached orbit, marking an important milestone for the private aerospace company.
“Starship is orbital,” mission control announced to cheers on a livestream on Monday that showed the spacecraft’s launch from a base in Texas in the United States.
The uncrewed spacecraft almost didn’t achieve the long-desired goal after one of its engines shut down too soon. But with everything else working well and the bad engine no longer needed, flight controllers decided after several tense minutes to proceed as planned.
If all goes well with this orbital debut, the next Starship will return to the launch pad with giant mechanical arms grabbing the hovering spacecraft. If the catch works – Musk gives it even or slightly better odds – then SpaceX will re-fly the spacecraft by year’s end or early next.