SpaceX launches Starship toward orbit for first time

SpaceX on Monday sent its Starship out to orbit for the first time, with the company looking for the craft to achieve six laps around the earth in order to show off its capability for the NASA Artemis program, according to The Associated Press.

SpaceX said all needs to go as planned for Starship prior to giving the order for the craft to enter orbit, the AP reported. Otherwise, it would be ordered into the Indian Ocean.

Earlier this month, the company founded by tech billionaire Elon Musk said the orbital flights will also enable Starship “to begin delivering Starlink V3 satellites and other payloads to space.”

SpaceX describes Starship as “a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond.”

“Starship is the world’s most powerful launch vehicle ever developed, designed to carry more than 100 metric tonnes to orbit in a fully reusable configuration,” the company states on its website.

Back in May, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered SpaceX to probe the cause of a Starship booster losing control and smashing into the Gulf of Mexico during a test flight.

In the wake of an assessment of the Starship Flight 12 launch, the agency found the launch “resulted in a mishap” and that the unsuccessful operation was caused by an accident involving the Super Heavy booster that ended up in the gulf after stage separation.

According to the FAA, there were no injuries or damaged property reported in the accident.