SpaceX’s Starship rocket lifted off and spent about three hours in orbit before performing a controlled splashdown in the Pacific, completing a high‑profile orbital test flight that ended earlier than the company had initially planned.
During its flight the vehicle released 26 Starlink V3 satellites into the existing broadband constellation, a milestone that expands global internet coverage to even more users worldwide. The mission was scheduled to last roughly ten hours, but the SpaceX team cut it short by firing the rocket’s engines to terminate the flight and splash down safely.
The company described Starship as the world’s most powerful launch vehicle ever built, capable of carrying cargo and crews to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond. The confirmed ability to orbit, deploy satellites, and execute a controlled safe return underscores the growing reliability of the system and its future role in crewed interplanetary missions.
