SpaceX’s Starship rocket reached orbit for the first time early Monday after launching from South Texas on its 14th test flight, according to reports. Al Jazeera reported that the vehicle achieved orbit despite an engine shutdown.
Ars Technica reported that the upper stage accelerated to orbital velocity and carried 26 of SpaceX’s newest-generation Starlink broadband satellites, which it said were deployed. Before the flight, CNBC reported that SpaceX planned to launch from Starbase, Texas, during a 75-minute window beginning at 8:15 a.m. ET and to deploy 26 Starlink V3 satellites. The Federal Aviation Administration had issued authorization on Sept. 26 for the Flight 14 launch and reentry operations, CNBC said.