SpaceX Starship mega-rocket will come back to Earth earlier than planned

SpaceX successfully completed the first orbital flight test of its Starship mega-rocket, which splashed down in the Northern Pacific earlier than planned after about 90 minutes instead of the original 10-hour mission. Despite engine issues and a partial explosion on splashdown, the mission deployed 26 Starlink satellites and incorporated heat shield improvements from previous test flights.

This Wire brief sits within Fusion42's coverage of Government & Space.