Space Exploration Milestone: SpaceX’s Starship Enters Earth’s Orbit for First Time in Landmark Test Flight

In Brief

1. Starship achieved low-Earth orbital insertion for the first time, moving past previous suborbital flight profiles.
2. The spacecraft is scheduled to deploy 26 Starlink satellites during its orbital phase.
3. The spacecraft will complete six orbits over roughly 10 hours before executing a controlled splashdown in the Pacific Ocean west of Chile.

Aerospace company SpaceX achieved a major flight milestone as its Starship spacecraft—the largest and most powerful launch vehicle ever built—successfully performed its orbital insertion burn to enter Earth’s orbit for the first time. Departing from earlier suborbital test trajectories, the vehicle completed its planned engine burn in space, establishing a stable orbital path around the planet.

During the 10-hour test mission, Starship is slated to deploy a payload of 26 Starlink satellites while orbiting Earth six times. Following the orbital phase, the spacecraft will execute atmospheric re-entry maneuvers before targeting a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, off the western coast of Chile.