ERBIL () - SpaceX's Starship reached orbit for the first time on Monday, marking a major milestone for the world's largest and most powerful rocket after years of test flights that had fallen short of a full orbital mission.
Agence France-Presse reported from the launch livestream that Starship's upper stage separated from its booster and continued into orbit at a speed exceeding 26,300 kilometers per hour and an altitude of about 277 kilometers.
The flight represented Starship's 14th full-scale launch from SpaceX's Starbase facility in southern Texas.
According to Associated Press Aerospace Writer Marcia Dunn, the spacecraft nearly missed the milestone when one of its engines shut down earlier than planned. Flight controllers nevertheless determined that the engine was no longer required and allowed the mission to continue.
"Starship is orbital,"Mission Control announced as the spacecraft completed the long-sought step.
The mission was designed to go much farther than previous Starship tests.
Earlier flights had traveled only as far as the Indian Ocean, with several ending in fiery crashes or brief passages through space. Monday's plan called for Starship to circle Earth six times over nearly 10 hours before splashing down in the Pacific near Chile.
SpaceX also used the mission to deploy 26 of its latest Starlink satellites.
The satellites were released individually from the spacecraft and are intended to join the roughly 11,000 older Starlink satellites already providing internet service.
Unlike some earlier tests, the first-stage booster was not intended to return to the launch site. It was instead planned to fall into the Gulf of Mexico shortly after liftoff.
SpaceX is taking a gradual approach before attempting to return Starship itself to Starbase.
Founder Elon Musk said earlier this month that the company wanted to avoid the risk of a spacecraft breaking apart over populated land and scattering debris.
If the current mission succeeds as planned, SpaceX intends to attempt a more ambitious recovery on a future flight, using giant mechanical arms at the launch tower to catch the returning spacecraft.
Musk has said such a recovery attempt could come on the next mission, with the possibility of reusing the spacecraft by the end of this year or early next year.
The 124-meter Starship system was designed from the beginning to be fully reusable, a goal SpaceX sees as central to lowering the cost of launches.
The company has also been refining Starship's heat shield after recovering a spacecraft from the Indian Ocean in July.
The orbital milestone is especially important for SpaceX's role in NASA's Artemis program.
Starship is one of the lunar lander systems being prepared for future Artemis missions, while SpaceX also intends to use the vehicle for large-scale satellite launches.
Musk originally conceived Starship as a vehicle for Mars missions, but the company's immediate priorities now include the moon and orbital satellite deployment.
