AssetID: 56066734
Headline: SpaceX's Starship launches on first orbital mission
Caption: BY MARK WORGAN SpaceX's Starship rocket has blasted off and reached orbit during its 14th test flight on Monday (28September2029). Elon Musk's 120-metre (394ft) rocket launched from Texas before its upper stage separated from the Super Heavy booster and reached orbit about 26 minutes into the flight. "Starship is orbital," a member of the launch team announced, prompting cheers from SpaceX staff. Once in orbit the spacecraft began deploying 26 next-generation Starlink satellites. The test is intended to last about 10 hours, during which Starship is due to complete six orbits of the Earth before ending its journey in the Pacific Ocean, although SpaceX indicated it may end early as one non-critical engine failed. SpaceX had initially launched the spacecraft on a suborbital trajectory as a precaution, before controllers decided to conduct a second engine burn to place it into orbit. The company is targeting a roughly circular orbit about 275km (171 miles) above Earth, requiring the spacecraft to travel at about 28,000km/h (17,400mph). The Super Heavy first-stage booster separated from Starship shortly after launch and fell into the Gulf of Mexico. Unlike some previous tests, SpaceX did not attempt to recover the booster. SpaceX began testing Starship in its complete in 2023 after several years of development work. Its previous test flights have followed less demanding suborbital trajectories. The company has repeatedly modified the vehicle as a result of data gathered during successful and unsuccessful tests. SpaceX eventually plans to test the transfer of propellant between spacecraft in orbit, a capability considered important for proposed missions beyond low-Earth orbit. The company hopes to develop Starship as a fully reusable transport system intended to carry cargo and people into orbit and, eventually, to the Moon and Mars. NASA has also selected a version of Starship as a lunar lander for its Artemis programme, but significant technical challenges remain before a Moon mission is near.
Keywords: SpaceX,feature,video,space,elon musk,science,technology
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