GoKawiilSpaceX's Starship Reaches Orbit, Deploys 26 Starlink V3 Satellites
SpaceX's Starship completed its first orbital flight, deploying 26 operational Starlink V3 satellites despite an early shutdown of one Raptor 3 engine during ascent. After assessing the upper stage's condition at its first orbital checkpoint, SpaceX opted to cut the mission short, moving up the deorbit burn to about 11 a.m. EDT with splashdown planned in the Northern Pacific, rather than waiting out the full 7.5-hour orbital window.
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Reaching orbit and deploying a working satellite batch marks a major milestone for Starship, which SpaceX intends to use to scale Starlink toward a stated goal of 100,000 V3 satellites. The early return suggests engineers may have flagged a technical concern with the ship's status, though SpaceX has not detailed the exact reason, leaving open questions about the vehicle's readiness for longer missions.
- Starship achieved its first orbital flight, deploying 26 Starlink V3 satellites.
- An early Raptor 3 engine shutdown occurred during ascent but did not prevent mission success.
- SpaceX shortened the flight, moving the deorbit burn earlier for a Northern Pacific splashdown.
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See Starlink Standard Kit on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: science.slashdot.org, 2026-09-28
Published there as: “SpaceX Launches Starship Into Orbit”
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