The brief
SpaceX's Starship blasted off on a key test of the world's biggest and most powerful rocket, with plans to carry out the first-ever attempted "catch" of both the booster and the spaceship.
The company aborted the booster recovery because of a technical issue, while the rocket continued its satellite mission, according to reports on the flight.S1S2
Starship reaches orbit and deploys 26 Starlink satellites; upper stage to attempt tower catch Saturday
- According to Slashdot, the upper stage deployed 26 Starlink satellites and is scheduled to complete 15 orbits before attempting a tower catch on Saturday.
- According to Deutsche Welle, the upper stage is in orbit and is planned to be caught by mechanical arms upon landing back at the launch pad.
- According to Thehindubusinessline, the booster was to return to the Texas pad six minutes after liftoff, but it was not recovered as planned.
- Wol reports the FAA issued a nationwide ground stop hours after approving the flight, citing communication problems at multiple air traffic control centers; the SpaceX license was not affected.
