SpaceX launches Starship rocket on its first orbital flight attempt

SpaceX launched its enormous Starship into orbit for the first time Monday and successfully delivered the most advanced Starlinks yet, but decided to cut short the flight.

SpaceX said the spacecraft would reenter over the Pacific and splash down north of Hawaii three hours after blasting off from Texas.

The company had been aiming for a 10-hour flight, spanning six full laps around Earth, to prove its readiness for NASA's Artemis moon program.

The spacecraft almost didn't make it to orbit after one of its engines shut down too soon.

But with everything else working well and the bad engine no longer needed, flight controllers decided after several tense minutes to proceed as planned.

Founder Elon Musk's showpiece rocket carried 26 of the latest and most advanced Starlink satellites to join the 11,000 older models already providing internet service.

They popped out of the spacecraft one by one, drawing more cheers from the SpaceX crowds looking on from the launch site at Starbase, Texas.