SpaceX’s Starship reaches orbit for the first time

The flight points to a higher-capacity way to expand Starlink than Falcon 9 V2 mini launches.

SpaceX’s Starship V3 reached Earth orbit for the first time on its third test flight, marking a major step toward using the super‑heavy lift vehicle for routine commercial missions and NASA work. The launch from South Texas saw the upper stage lose one of its six Raptor engines after stage separation, but the vehicle still proceeded to orbit and deployed 26 third‑generation Starlink satellites. According to SpaceX, a single Starship flight with these V3 satellites can add as much Starlink capacity as roughly 20 Falcon 9 launches carrying V2 mini satellites, which is critical for scaling its 10,000‑satellite network. The Super Heavy booster executed its cleanest simulated landing to date with the V3 configuration, splashing down off the Gulf coast after a return toward the launch area. This third V3 test comes about two months after the previous one and follows SpaceX’s record‑setting IPO, as the company plans a $100 billion Starbase‑style launch complex in Louisiana to support Musk’s ambition of thousands of Starship flights per year.