SpaceX “Starship” successfully entered Earth orbit for the first time and deployed 26 Starlink V3 satellites

On September 28, local time, the US Space Exploration Technology Company (SpaceX) heavy-lift launch vehicle “Starship” was launched from Texas and carried out its 14th test flight. During the flight, one engine shut down early, and the SpaceX team re-evaluated and decided to continue the orbit mission. The “Starship” then completed orbital ignition and entered the Earth’s orbit for the first time. It plans to fly about 6 times around the Earth and deploy 26 Starlink V3 satellites. SpaceX then begins the satellite deployment mission, and the entire process is expected to last about 30 minutes.

This test flight was the first attempt by a “Starship” to enter Earth orbit. According to the plan, the first-stage “Super Heavy” booster will make a controlled splashdown in the waters near the Gulf of Mexico, and the second-stage “Starship” spacecraft will fly in an orbit about 275 kilometers above the earth’s surface, and finally splash down in the Pacific waters west of Chile. The entire mission is expected to last about 10 hours.