SpaceX的星舰（Starship）昨日首次进入轨道并部署了26颗星链（Starlink）V3卫星，尽管发动机故障导致原定的六圈轨道飞行计划被迫缩短。超重型助推器（Super Heavy）也遇到了自身的问题。全部33台猛禽3（Raptor 3）发动机于中部时间07:48点火，但在上升过程中有一台关闭。随后，助推器在执行返回助推机动时，原计划点火的28台发动机中有26台成功点火。
SpaceX's Starship reached orbit for the first time yesterday and deployed 26 Starlink V3 satellites, although engine trouble cut short a planned six-orbit flight. Super Heavy had problems of its own. All 33 Raptor 3 engines ignited at 07:48 CT, but one shut down during ascent. The booster later reignited 26 of the 28 engines planned for its boostback maneuver.
在下降过程中，它在着陆点火的高推力阶段点燃了计划中的13台发动机中的11台，随后依次减少至5台和3台。助推器最终溅落在墨西哥湾，随后其飞行终止系统被有意触发，以测试安全硬件。更为严重的是，星舰的三台真空优化版猛禽发动机中有一台在上升过程中提前关闭。其余五台发动机通过延长燃烧时间进行补偿，使航天器保持在预定的亚轨道轨迹上。
During descent, it reignited 11 of the planned 13 engines for the high-thrust portion of its landing burn before stepping down to five and then three. It splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico, after which its flight termination system was deliberately triggered to test the safety hardware. More consequential was the premature shutdown of one of Starship's three vacuum-optimized Raptors during ascent. The remaining five engines burned longer to compensate, leaving the spacecraft on its planned suborbital trajectory.
这确保了即使控制人员失去控制，航天器也能返回地球，但也意味着需要额外的燃烧才能进入轨道。随后，控制人员必须决定剩余的推进冗余是否足以同时执行轨道插入机动和至关重要的后续离轨燃烧。据SpaceX称，所有三台海平面版猛禽发动机均保持正常，因此控制人员批准重新点燃其中一台并完成入轨爬升。在部署卫星后，星舰开始绕地球滑行，但出于“谨慎考虑”，控制人员缩短了原定十小时飞行任务的大部分时间。
This ensured it would return to Earth even if controllers lost control, but also meant a further burn was required to enter orbit. Controllers then had to decide whether enough propulsion redundancy remained to perform both the orbital insertion maneuver and, crucially, the later deorbit burn. According to SpaceX, all three sea-level Raptors remained healthy, so controllers gave the go-ahead to relight one and complete the climb to orbit. After deploying the satellites, Starship began its coast around Earth, but controllers cut short most of the intended ten-hour flight "out of an abundance of caution."
它执行了离轨燃烧，并在约三小时后溅落在北太平洋。与第13次飞行中成功着陆并被回收的飞行器不同，这一枚在触水后不久便倾覆并发生爆炸。成功进入轨道、部署有效载荷并执行受控离轨，代表了星舰的重大进步。然而，考虑到登月任务所需的发射频率，猛禽发动机的提前关闭仍然是一个令人担忧的问题。
It performed its deorbit burn and splashed down in the North Pacific after about three hours. Unlike the Flight 13 vehicle, which survived its landing and was recovered, this one toppled over and exploded shortly after hitting the water. Reaching orbit, deploying an operational payload, and executing a controlled deorbit represent major advances for Starship. However the premature Raptor shutdown remains a concern given the launch cadence required for a lunar landing.
美国国家航空航天局（NASA）监察长表示，SpaceX的月球架构方案要求先建立推进剂加注站，随后进行超过十次油罐飞船发射，发射间隔可能约为六天。SpaceX尚未在轨道上验证过航天器之间的推进剂转移技术。这一油罐飞船发射计划并非2027年修订后的阿尔忒弥斯3号任务所必需，该任务现已从月球着陆改为在低地球轨道进行的对接演示。
NASA's inspector general said SpaceX's lunar architecture calls for a propellant depot followed by more than ten tanker launches, potentially at intervals of about six days. SpaceX has yet to demonstrate vehicle-to-vehicle propellant transfer in orbit. That tanker campaign is not required for the revised Artemis III mission in 2027, which is now a docking demonstration in low Earth orbit rather than a lunar landing.
SpaceX的贡献将是一艘配备对接系统的第三代星舰，以便猎户座飞船与其会合；宇航员将留在猎户座飞船内。轨道加注和快速连续的油罐飞船发射将成为首次载人着陆任务的关键，NASA目前将这一任务分配给2028年的阿尔忒弥斯4号。®
SpaceX's contribution will be a single Version 3 Starship fitted with a docking system so that Orion can rendezvous with it; astronauts will remain aboard Orion. Orbital refueling and the rapid succession of tanker launches will become critical for the first crewed landing, which NASA now assigns to Artemis IV in 2028. ®