SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas — SpaceX’s Starship megarocket reached orbit for the first time Monday, marking a major milestone for the company’s ambitious plans to develop a fully reusable spacecraft capable of carrying people and cargo to the Moon and, eventually, Mars.
The black-and-silver spacecraft, standing more than 120 meters tall, lifted off from SpaceX’s Texas launch site early Monday. The mission was designed to send Starship into orbit for about 10 hours before completing a controlled return to Earth.
After the Super Heavy booster successfully separated from the spacecraft, the Starship upper stage continued its journey toward orbit. However, engine trouble during the flight raised concerns about whether the mission would achieve its primary objective.
“Starship is orbital,” a member of the launch team announced during SpaceX’s livestream, prompting cheers from company employees and supporters.
Once in orbit, the spacecraft successfully deployed 26 next-generation Starlink satellites. The deployment adds to SpaceX’s rapidly expanding satellite internet network, which has become an important source of revenue for the company.
The mission, however, ended earlier than planned. About three hours into the flight, SpaceX engineers decided to de-orbit Starship into the Pacific Ocean rather than continue the planned journey. The spacecraft completed two trips around Earth instead of the intended six orbits.
Live video showed Starship descending through the atmosphere before its engines reignited to slow the spacecraft for a vertical splashdown. It landed upright on the surface of the Pacific before tipping onto its side and being engulfed by a large explosion.
SpaceX founder Elon Musk has said Starship is ultimately intended to be rapidly reusable, with future versions designed to land on launch platforms that can catch the rocket before it reaches the ground or water.
Despite Monday’s progress, significant technical challenges remain. Starship must demonstrate greater reliability and eventually prove that it can be refueled in orbit—an essential capability for longer missions to the Moon and Mars.
NASA is also counting on a modified Starship for future missions designed to return U.S. astronauts to the lunar surface.
Kathleen Curlee, a senior analyst at Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology, said the flight represented meaningful progress but fell short of SpaceX’s stated goals. She noted that reaching orbit was an achievement, while the engine trouble and shortened flight demonstrated that substantial work remains.
The test highlights both the rapid progress and continuing challenges surrounding Starship as SpaceX seeks to advance reusable rocket technology and maintain its position in the global space-launch industry.
