SpaceX Starship reaches orbit for the first time

SpaceX launched its Starship into orbit for the first time Monday and successfully delivered the most advanced Starlinks yet, but cut the flight short to ensure safety.

The spacecraft reentered over the Pacific and splashed down north of Hawaii three hours after blasting off from Texas. The company had been aiming for a 10-hour flight, spanning six full laps around Earth, to prove its readiness for NASA's Artemis moon program.

Starship tipped over and erupted in flames upon splashdown, a dramatic end to the mission.

This 14th Starship almost didn't make it to orbit when one of its engines shut down too soon. But with everything else working well and the bad engine no longer needed, flight controllers decided after several tense minutes to proceed as planned.

The rocket carried 26 of the latest Starlink satellites to join the 11,000 older models already providing internet service.