SpaceX’s Starship rocket finally reached orbit. The 14th test flight of the world’s most powerful launch vehicle sent its upper stage into orbital velocity for the first time, and it carried a large haul of satellites to do it. The rocket’s massive Raptor engines got the job done, and the deployment system looked like a giant Pez dispenser spitting candy into space.
The launch took off from Starbase, Texas, at 8:49 am EDT (7:49 am local time; 12:49 UTC). Thirty-three methane-fueled Raptor engines pushed the 407-foot-tall (124-meter) rocket off its launch pad. Those engines produced up to 18 million pounds of thrust, enough to propel the fuel-laden vehicle into the sky over the US-Mexico border region.
A Rocket That Finally Reached Orbit
Previous Starship flights had been suborbital. SpaceX intentionally dialed back the rocket’s full capability to fly a path that let Earth’s gravity pull the vehicle back into the atmosphere before it completed a full lap around the planet. This time, the upper stage squeezed out extra power from its engines and accelerated to orbital velocity.
The timing was the deciding factor. For every previous launch, the engines cut out before the vehicle gained enough velocity to maintain its position in orbit. This time, the upper stage continued gaining speed past that threshold. The engines stopped running a little more than eight minutes into the flight, and the rocket kept rising.
That difference in timing was the key distinction between this flight and the earlier ones. The rocket’s engines shut down later, allowing the vehicle to keep moving fast enough to stay in orbit rather than falling back to Earth.
The Payload That Set the Record
The SpaceX launch delivered 26 of the company’s latest batch of Starlink broadband satellites aboard the rocket’s cargo bay. These satellites are too large to fit inside the company’s workhorse Falcon 9. The deployment process relied on a system of pulleys and cables that ejected the satellites singly from the rocket.
A Pez dispenser spits candy one piece at a time, and so it went with the satellites: each flat-packed one was released individually as the rocket traveled through space.
That deployment method stood out among the company’s launches. SpaceX packed twenty-six satellites into a single launch, which stands out among the company’s deployments. The flat-pack design allowed for that high count, and the pulley-and-cable system performed well during the launch.
The Launch From Texas
A private spaceport called Starbase, located just north of the US-Mexico border, provided the loud start to the launch. Once the rocket reached the speed of sound, it kept rising into the stratosphere. Then the Super Heavy booster stage separated from Starship’s upper stage.
After a quick pivot at a high altitude, the booster began pushing back toward the Texas coast. A few minutes on, the Super Heavy first stage came down into the Gulf of Mexico, landing gently just offshore from Starbase.
South Texas witnessed a dramatic morning when the engines roared, sending the rocket up through the stratosphere, with the booster’s controlled splashdown following within roughly ten minutes. It marked a day of firsts for SpaceX.
The Upper Stage’s Long Climb
After the booster detached, the upper stage kept climbing through space on its own. The engines cut off about eight minutes into the flight, and the stage then drifted the rest of the way to orbit without thrust.
SpaceX’s earlier Starship test flights had followed a comparable course, with engines shutting down at roughly the same point in the flight. The difference here was the timing of that shutdown. In those earlier tests, engines cut off early so the vehicle would fall safely back to Earth. On this occasion, however, the shutdown came later, and the rocket kept moving fast enough to stay in orbit.
What This Means for SpaceX
SpaceX has reached a notable turning point with its Starship launch, which marks the first time the rocket has shown its complete ability to reach orbit.
The flat-pack design enabled SpaceX to pack twenty-six satellites into a single launch, which stands out among the company’s deployments. The pulley-and-cable system performed well during the launch, releasing each satellite individually as the rocket traveled through space.
Routine operations remain the next objective for the company.
Comparing the Rockets
| Rocket | Height | Engines | Payload | Orbit Capable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starship | 407 ft (124 m) | 33 Raptors | 26 Starlinks | Yes |
| Falcon 9 | Smaller | Fewer engines | Smaller payloads | Yes |
The contrast explains why Starship holds significance. Falcon 9, being less in size and equipped with a reduced number of engines, falls short when it comes to handling the largest satellites. Starship, by contrast, boasts 33 engines and a vast cargo hold, which enables it to transport far greater mass into orbit.
Key Facts Box
- Launch time: 8:49 am EDT (7:49 am local; 12:49 UTC)
- Rocket height: 407 feet (124 meters)
- Engines: 33 methane-fueled Raptors
- Thrust: Up to 18 million pounds
- Satellites deployed: 26 Starlinks
- Flight number: 14th test flight
- Splashdown location: Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Starbase
A successful orbital launch with a large satellite deployment has confirmed that the rocket functions as intended. Routine operations remain the next objective for the company.
The Pez dispenser analogy describes the moment perfectly. One by one, a large satellite emerges from the deployer as the rocket travels through space. The deployment system functioned precisely as intended.
The rocket has already shown it can reach orbit, with SpaceX proving its capability. Routine operations come next. This flight, however, demonstrated that the rocket actually works.
Source material: “SpaceX's Starship goes orbital, deploying first next-gen Starlinks,” Ars Technica.
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