SpaceX's Starship achieves 1st orbital success after 13 tests
SpaceX just pulled off a big one: Starship made its first-ever successful trip to orbit, lifting off from Texas and pushing through an engine hiccup along the way.
After 13 test flights that didn't quite make it this far, this marks a huge step for SpaceX and sets the stage for even bigger missions ahead.
Starship deploys 26 Starlink V3 satellites
While in orbit, Starship dropped off 26 new Starlink V3 satellites, basically adding as much network power as 20 Falcon 9 launches in one go.
The flight ended after about 3 hours, with Starship coming down north of Hawaii, flipping upright just before hitting the water, then tipping over and bursting into flames.
Even with some booster engine issues before splashdown, the mission proved Starship can handle heavy-duty satellite deliveries, giving SpaceX more confidence for future projects.