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SpaceX achieved a milestone on Tuesday evening as its Starship rocket completed its 10th flight test with a successful launch from South Texas, marking the first time the system carried out all major mission goals without failure. The August 26 launch from Starbase came at 6:30 p.m. local time, following two days of delays caused by technical checks and stormy weather.
The two-stage rocket, the largest ever built, lifted off with 33 methane-fueled Raptor engines on its Super Heavy booster. Engineers had struggled with leaks, fires, and engine damage in earlier attempts, but the latest flight showed those problems had been addressed with new shielding and better fuel management.
In this test, Booster 16 and Ship 37 were loaded with more than 10 million pounds of propellant, producing over twice the thrust of NASA’s Saturn V, which carried astronauts to the Moon. After a clean separation, the Super Heavy booster carried out a controlled descent and splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico. It was the first time the company completed the recovery phase without a loss of vehicle.
The upper stage, Ship 37, continued on a suborbital flight path and released eight mock Starlink satellites to simulate cargo deployment. The vehicle then tested reentry procedures, reaching heating levels of about 1,400 degrees Celsius. Surviving this trial is essential for future missions that will return from orbit or beyond.
Starship’s test campaign has been troubled since Flight 7, when vibrations damaged engines and triggered explosions. Investigators traced the failures to leaks and fires in the aft section. Engineers responded with hardware upgrades that were put to the test in this tenth flight.
The launch has also generated excitement on social media. On X, one user wrote, “Incredible! Beautiful! Successful.” “Sorry, but what a beautiful launch, amazing vapor cones, booster sep and boost back complete, and Starship flying nominally. Just awesome. This is the only way to ensure the survival of life as we know it.” Another user expressed.
The rocket’s development is central to NASA’s Artemis program, which plans to use a modified Starship as a lunar lander. SpaceX says the vehicle’s full reuse could reduce launch costs from millions to just thousands of dollars per ton, a change that could reshape how cargo and people are sent to space.
Looking ahead, SpaceX intends to test booster catches using the launch tower’s mechanical arms, called ‘Mechazilla,’ a move that would cut recovery times. Data from this flight will also guide the design of future “Block 2” Starship models, expected to feature stronger structures and more reliable systems.
With Flight 10 completed, the company showed it is moving closer to making Starship operational. For the first time, the rocket demonstrated the ability to launch, separate, land, and carry a payload in one mission, laying the groundwork for more ambitious goals, including missions to the Moon and eventually Mars.
