SpaceX Starship makes orbit for first time on truncated flight

SpaceX's Starship megarocket reached orbit for the first time despite an unexpected engine shutdown during its flight on Monday, according to a report by Dawn. The mission, the 14th for the vehicle since 2023, successfully deployed the first batch of new Starlink satellites.

The flight was scheduled to last 10 hours but ended after just three, concluding with a controlled, fiery splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. The rocket had launched from Texas.

SpaceX plans to put the Starship vehicle, designed as the world's first fully reusable spacecraft, into routine use later this year. The company's market worth, valued at $2 trillion as of last Friday's close, is heavily tied to the success of the Starship programme.