SpaceX launches Starship on first orbital flight

SpaceX launches Starship on first orbital flight

SpaceX's next-generation Starship rocket successfully reached Earth orbit for the first time Monday morning. Why it matters: The massive, fully-reusable Starship is key to SpaceX's commercial spaceflight ambitions, while NASA is counting on a modified version for use as a lunar lander in its Artemis program. Driving the news: Starship launched from South Texas just before 9 a.m. ET on a planned test flight of about 10 hours. It's set to orbit Earth about six times before splashing down in the Pa