SpaceX's Starship reaches orbit despite engine issue - Reuters

SpaceX’s Starship vehicle completed its first orbital flight on Tuesday, marking a milestone for the company’s next‑generation launch system. The launch took place from the company’s Boca Chica, Texas, site in the early hours of the day, with the spacecraft lifting off on a fully fueled Super Heavy booster.

During ascent, the Super Heavy booster performed a series of engine burns before separating from the Starship upper stage. After separation, the Starship continued its ascent using its own Raptor engines. Approximately 10 minutes into the flight, telemetry indicated a loss of thrust from one of the Raptor engines, prompting the vehicle’s flight computer to adjust its trajectory.

Despite the engine failure, the remaining engines were able to sustain the vehicle’s velocity and altitude, allowing Starship to achieve a stable orbit. The spacecraft completed roughly one and a half orbits before initiating a controlled re‑entry sequence, during which it experienced aerodynamic heating and structural stresses before breaking up over the Pacific Ocean.

SpaceX officials described the flight as a “partial success,” noting that the orbital insertion demonstrated the vehicle’s core capabilities while acknowledging the need to address the engine anomaly. The company indicated that data collected from the flight will inform design refinements and future test flights.

The successful orbital flight, even with the engine issue, represents a significant step in SpaceX’s development program, which aims to use Starship for a range of missions including satellite deployment, lunar landings and eventual crewed flights to Mars. Further test flights are planned to validate system reliability and to incorporate lessons learned from this inaugural orbital attempt.