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SpaceX Starship Successfully Circles Earth for First Time
28 Sep
Summary
- Starship successfully completed its first orbital flight, circling Earth six times.
- This mission is a crucial step for NASA's Artemis moon program.
- SpaceX aims for full reusability to significantly lower launch costs.
SpaceX's Starship successfully completed its first orbital flight on Monday, circling the Earth six times. This significant achievement is a crucial step toward enabling NASA's Artemis moon program. Despite an engine shutting down prematurely, flight controllers decided to proceed with the mission.
Founder Elon Musk's Starship, the largest and most powerful rocket ever built, is designed for full reusability to drastically cut launch expenses. This 14th test flight from Texas marks a major advancement over previous attempts that ended in partial space or ocean crashes.
SpaceX is pressing to certify Starship for orbital flights, a necessary precursor for lunar and future Mars missions. NASA's Artemis III mission, slated for next summer, will involve docking an Orion capsule with competing lunar landers, including Starship.
Future Artemis missions beyond 2028 will see astronauts landing on the moon using either Blue Moon or Starship. Musk originally envisioned Starship for Mars settlement but will now prioritize lunar missions and satellite deployment, phasing out the Falcon 9 rocket.
