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SpaceX launches Starship's 1st orbital flight test
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Key Points:
- SpaceX launched its largest and most powerful rocket, Starship, on its 14th test flight from Texas, aiming to achieve orbit for the first time and deploy 26 Starlink satellites to generate revenue.
- The mission, lasting just under 10 hours with a planned six orbits, includes a "passively safe" free-return trajectory providing built-in abort options to ensure safety in case of early flight issues.
- The Super Heavy booster will separate after launch and perform a controlled return to splash down in the Gulf of Mexico, while Starship will deploy its payload about 34 minutes into the mission.
- Starship is equipped with over 500 sensors providing continuous telemetry for vehicle health monitoring, and the spacecraft will conclude the mission with a deorbit burn to splash down in the Pacific Ocean west of Chile.
- The launch window was adjusted slightly on the day of the flight, and SpaceX remains cautious about potential delays due to weather or technical problems.
