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SpaceX’s Starship Launches on Its First Orbital Flight

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The Economics of SpaceX vs. NASA: Innovation by Subsidy or Disruption?

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SpaceX launches Starship on 10-hour test flight, aiming to orbit Earth 6 times

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When will SpaceX's Starship carry a human to orbit?

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It looks like one of Booster 20s Raptor 3 engines had a bit of a problem on Flight 13s ascent but thanks to Jerry for catching it!!

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SpaceX launches Starship on giant rocket's first flight to orbit

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Starship Flight 14: Achieving Orbit Will Be Nice, But Why Isnt It Attempting Much More?

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SpaceX's Starship launches on 14th flight, first headed to orbit

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SpaceX's Starship rocket begins orbiting Earth for first time after Texas lift-off - watch live

SpaceX launches unprecedented test flight of massive Starship, aiming for orbit

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Elon Musk Spacex Starship Earth Orbit

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"There is no planet B [habitable to human beings]."

"I would never say we can never reach the stars and possible habitable planets."

"The discovery of Gliese 12 b is a stepping stone towards finding potentially habitable planets."

"[W]e're more likely to detect planets in the habitable zone with TESS [NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite]."

Will We Find Another Inhabitable Planet?

SpaceX launched its Starship rocket Monday morning from the Starbase site in Texas for its 14th test flight and its first attempt to reach Earth orbit after 13 previous suborbital missions.

SpaceX launched its Starship rocket Monday morning from the Starbase site in Texas for its 14th test flight and its first attempt to reach Earth orbit after 13 previous suborbital missions.

The upper stage lost an engine during ascent, prompting flight controllers to debate whether to proceed. Eventually, controllers cleared the vehicle for orbit, and Starship completed its insertion burn about 26 minutes after liftoff.

The upper stage lost an engine during ascent, prompting flight controllers to debate whether to proceed. Eventually, controllers cleared the vehicle for orbit, and Starship completed its insertion burn about 26 minutes after liftoff.

The mission plan calls for roughly 10 hours in space and six trips around the planet, and includes deploying 26 third-generation Starlink satellites intended to become operational parts of the SpaceX network.

Spacex

The mission plan calls for roughly 10 hours in space and six trips around the planet, and includes deploying 26 third-generation Starlink satellites intended to become operational parts of the SpaceX network.

SpaceX is not attempting to catch either stage with the launch tower's mechanical arms on this flight. The Super Heavy booster is aimed for a splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico, while the upper stage is set to come down in the Pacific Ocean west of Chile.

SpaceX is not attempting to catch either stage with the launch tower's mechanical arms on this flight. The Super Heavy booster is aimed for a splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico, while the upper stage is set to come down in the Pacific Ocean west of Chile.

During July's 13th test flight, three booster engines had problems that cut short the boost-back burn, and only eight of 13 engines fired for the landing burn, producing a hard splashdown. SpaceX said it made engine and software upgrades in response.

NASA Spaceflight

During July's 13th test flight, three booster engines had problems that cut short the boost-back burn, and only eight of 13 engines fired for the landing burn, producing a hard splashdown. SpaceX said it made engine and software upgrades in response.

NASA has contracted SpaceX to supply a Starship variant as a lunar lander for a landing targeted in 2028, a mission that would require multiple tanker flights and orbital refueling, a capability that has not yet been demonstrated at that scale.

NASA has contracted SpaceX to supply a Starship variant as a lunar lander for a landing targeted in 2028, a mission that would require multiple tanker flights and orbital refueling, a capability that has not yet been demonstrated at that scale.

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Lighting all 33 engines, stacking in flight and hauling real satellites on a single mission is the kind of leap that separates test hardware from an operational launch system. The payoff isn't bragging rights — it's a bandwidth pipeline that could rival the entire world's internet demand within a few years. American engineering is building the future in public.

Lighting all 33 engines, stacking in flight and hauling real satellites on a single mission is the kind of leap that separates test hardware from an operational launch system. The payoff isn't bragging rights — it's a bandwidth pipeline that could rival the entire world's internet demand within a few years. American engineering is building the future in public.

Mr Producer

Aaron Burnett

X Freeze

Reaching orbit means little when the booster and the ship both get dumped in the ocean instead of being caught and flown again, since the whole trillion-dollar pitch rests on rapid reuse. Skipping the recovery attempt also conveniently avoids testing whether the heat shield claims hold up. And hauling roughly half the advertised tonnage raises real doubts about the promised capability.

Reaching orbit means little when the booster and the ship both get dumped in the ocean instead of being caught and flown again, since the whole trillion-dollar pitch rests on rapid reuse. Skipping the recovery attempt also conveniently avoids testing whether the heat shield claims hold up. And hauling roughly half the advertised tonnage raises real doubts about the promised capability.

Lawrence Fossi's Substack

SpaceX exposes NASA's bureaucratic limits: where NASA moves cautiously, SpaceX iterates aggressively. Yet framing this as private innovation versus public failure is misleading. SpaceX's success depends heavily on decades of NASA-funded research, infrastructure and expertise. Ultimately, it's not about rockets — it's about who bears the risk, who reaps the rewards and who takes responsibility.

SpaceX exposes NASA's bureaucratic limits: where NASA moves cautiously, SpaceX iterates aggressively. Yet framing this as private innovation versus public failure is misleading. SpaceX's success depends heavily on decades of NASA-funded research, infrastructure and expertise. Ultimately, it's not about rockets — it's about who bears the risk, who reaps the rewards and who takes responsibility.

There's a 50% chance that SpaceX's Starship will carry a human to orbit by May 3, 2029, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

There's a 50% chance that SpaceX's Starship will carry a human to orbit by May 3, 2029, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

The Space Race

Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP/Getty Images

SpaceX Starship Reaches Orbit for First Time

Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP/Getty Images

SpaceX Starship Reaches Orbit for First Time

Space

Science & technology

United States of America

Lighting all 33 engines, stacking in flight and hauling real satellites on a single mission is the kind of leap that separates test hardware from an operational launch system. The payoff is a bandwidth pipeline that could rival the entire world's internet demand within a few years. American engineering is building the future in public.

Lighting all 33 engines, stacking in flight and hauling real satellites on a single mission is the kind of leap that separates test hardware from an operational launch system. The payoff is a bandwidth pipeline that could rival the entire world's internet demand within a few years. American engineering is building the future in public.

SpaceX Starship Reaches Orbit for First Time

SpaceX Starship Reaches Orbit for First Time

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SpaceX Starship Reaches Orbit for First Time

SpaceX Starship Reaches Orbit for First Time

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