SpaceX puts Starship into orbit for the first time, deploys 26 Starlink satellites

SpaceX puts Starship into orbit for the first time, deploys 26 Starlink satellites

Space Exploration Technologies Corp. put its Starship rocket into orbit for the first time today on the vehicle’s 14th test flight.

Liftoff came at 8:49 a.m. EDT from Starbase in South Texas. The upper stage was back down in the Pacific a little over three hours later, well ahead of schedule.

One of the six Raptor engines on the Starship upper stage shut down early during ascent…