Starship’s first orbital flight put its heat shield to the test – how it fares could determine if SpaceX’s vision is possible

Starship’s heat shield is made of up of an array of ceramic tiles. Each is a small component, but together they have large consequences.

By: Sven Bilén, Penn State, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: September 29, 2026

Words: 1,311

Last Updated: 2 weeks, 3 days ago

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By Sven Bilén, Penn State

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.

But not all went as planned. An engine went out, though SpaceX quickly determined Starship could still reach …

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