Starship reaches orbit and deploys 26 Starlink satellites

SpaceX's Starship reached Earth orbit for the first time on Monday and deployed 26 new Starlink satellites. The flight continued after the upper stage lost one of its six engines shortly after separation. SpaceX later decided to bring the stage back sooner than the roughly nine hours originally planned. The company connected to all 26 deployed satellites, which are intended to serve Starlink customers in the coming weeks. Its Super Heavy booster also performed a simulated landing over water. The orbital flight and satellite deployment advance Starship's role in launching Starlink capacity, although this test ended its planned orbital stay early.