SpaceX's Starship Reaches Orbit for First Time After Engine Loss

SpaceX's Starship rocket reached Earth orbit for the first time early Monday, lifting off from South Texas before losing one of six Raptor engines on its upper stage shortly after separation, according to TechCrunch. The vehicle still deployed 26 new Starlink satellites, though SpaceX cut the mission short of its planned nine hours.

What happened during the launch?

The launch from South Texas met its early benchmarks, TechCrunch reported, with liftoff and stage separation proceeding as planned. Problems emerged shortly after the upper stage separated from the Super Heavy booster, when Starship lost one of its six Raptor engines. SpaceX initially called off the orbital attempt because of the engine loss, then reversed course a few minutes later and continued pushing toward orbit, according to the outlet.

Did the engine loss stop Starship from reaching orbit?

No. TechCrunch reported that Starship could still reach orbit with five of its six upper-stage engines functioning, and the rocket ultimately did so, successfully deploying its full payload of 26 third-generation Starlink satellites. SpaceX connected to all 26 satellites after deployment, the outlet reported, and the company said they are expected to begin serving Starlink customers within weeks.

Why did SpaceX end the flight early?

SpaceX had planned for the Starship upper stage to orbit Earth six times over roughly nine hours before reentry. Instead, the company brought the vehicle back after about three hours.

"Flight teams will deorbit Starship safely to our pre-cleared area of the Pacific Ocean after 3 hours in orbit," SpaceX wrote on X, as quoted by TechCrunch.

The upper stage came down in the company's pre-cleared Pacific Ocean zone. TechCrunch did not report a specific reason SpaceX gave for shortening the mission beyond the deorbit announcement itself.

What did the Starlink satellites add to the network?

The satellites deployed Monday were third-generation, or V3, Starlink units, which SpaceX says are more powerful than the earlier versions used to build its current constellation of more than 10,000 satellites, according to TechCrunch. The company has said a single full Starship launch carrying V3 satellites can add as much capacity to the Starlink network as 20 flights of the smaller V2 mini satellites, which fly aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket.

What happened with the booster?

Separately from the upper stage's orbital run, SpaceX made progress recovering the Super Heavy booster. After separating from Starship a few minutes into the flight, the booster returned toward the Gulf coast and carried out a simulated landing over the water. TechCrunch described it as the cleanest simulated landing SpaceX has performed with the V3 version of Starship, which the company began testing in May. Monday's flight was the third test of Starship V3, with tests spaced roughly two months apart, according to the outlet.

Why does this matter for SpaceX's plans?

Reaching orbit is described by TechCrunch as a milestone that could let SpaceX move toward regular commercial Starship missions and closer to its goal of making the rocket fully reusable. Musk has organized the company around Starship, which is central to SpaceX's plans for NASA moon missions and more speculative projects such as orbital data centers, the outlet reported.

Monday's flight was also the second Starship launch since SpaceX completed what TechCrunch called the largest IPO ever. The company's stock rose more than 1% in early trading Monday but turned negative after SpaceX announced it was ending the orbital mission early, according to the outlet.

What to watch

• Whether SpaceX flies additional V3 Starship tests roughly two months apart, matching the cadence of its last three attempts.
• Whether the Super Heavy booster's next flight attempts an actual catch or landing rather than a simulated one over water.
• Whether the 26 V3 Starlink satellites deployed Monday begin serving customers within the "next few weeks" timeline SpaceX cited, per TechCrunch.
• Whether SpaceX addresses the cause of the single Raptor engine loss on the upper stage before the next launch.

SpaceX did not immediately provide additional technical detail beyond its X post on the early deorbit, and TechCrunch's report did not include further company comment on the cause of the engine failure.