TLDR Hardware · GENERAL
STARSHIP REACHES ORBIT FOR THE FIRST TIME ON FLIGHT 14, DEPLOYS 26 NEXT-GEN STARLINK SATELLITES
Summary from the TLDR Hardware newsletter
Starship's 14th test flight reached orbit for the first time on Monday, despite one engine shutting down unexpectedly mid-flight, deploying 26 next-generation Starlink V3 satellites one by one from a Pez-dispenser-style mechanism at roughly 269km altitude before the mission ended early. Each Starship can now carry about 60 Starlink V3 satellites, roughly 20 times the capacity of a Falcon 9 launch, and the new satellites offer around 10x the downlink and 22x the uplink capacity of the previous V2 generation, capability SpaceX needs to support Musk's stated goal of Starlink eventually carrying a majority of the world's internet traffic.