Starship's first orbital flight put its heat shield to the test

SpaceX’s Starship, the most powerful launch vehicle ever developed, reached Earth orbit for the first time on Sept. 28, 2026. This mission, the rocket’s 14th test flight, also marked the first time that Starship deployed Starlink internet satellites into the existing larger constellation: 26 new next-generation nodes in total.

Source: Phys.org