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Starship reached orbit and deployed 26 satellites, but SpaceX ended its planned 10-hour test flight early.
What has changed? · 29/09/2026, 06:32 UTC
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The proposed mission would take about 10 hours and complete approximately six orbits of Earth, the BBC reports. It follows 13 previous Starship test flights, whose varied outcomes are the subject of a BBC video looking back at the programme. [1]
If successful, the mission would be the first Starship flight to orbit Earth and the furthest the rocket has travelled, the BBC says. [1]
SpaceX ended its Starship test flight early, with the spacecraft splashing down in the Pacific Ocean after orbiting Earth for about three hours, BBC News reported. The mission had been expected to last about 10 hours. [2]
During the flight, Starship deployed 26 next-generation Starlink V3 satellites. [2]
2 listed sources · explore evidence, limitations and provenance.
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