SpaceX Starship launch succeeds after delays and past failures in landmark 10th test flight

The world’s most powerful rocket has finally cleared a major milestone. The SpaceX Starship completed its 10th test flight on Tuesday, achieving a successful splashdown in the Indian Ocean after surviving the intense heat of re-entry – a phase that has destroyed earlier versions.

The launch, scrubbed twice in the days before, lifted off at 6.30pm local time from Starbase in Texas. Standing 403ft tall, the stainless steel rocket separated cleanly from its Super Heavy booster and completed a series of tests, including the deployment of mock Starlink satellites.

For Elon Musk and SpaceX, the result represents proof that upgrades to heat shield tiles and flight systems are beginning to pay off. “What we’re trying to achieve here with the SpaceX Starship is to have a heat shield that can be flown immediately,” Musk said in a webcast before launch, noting the difficulties of refurbishing older spacecraft like the US shuttle.

While the booster splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico instead of attempting a tower “catch”, SpaceX said it used the opportunity to collect data under less-than-ideal conditions. The company’s test-to-failure philosophy – where rockets are pushed to their limits in flight rather than remaining on the ground – continues to divide opinion. Analysts note that while this approach has delivered rapid progress with the Falcon 9, Starship’s repeated explosions have raised questions about the pace of development.

The mission carried a “Pez-like” satellite dispenser, trialling a system that SpaceX hopes will allow it to deploy larger batches of Starlink satellites. Musk has tied the long-term future of his Starlink internet service to Starship’s success, arguing that only its heavy-lift capacity can launch next-generation satellites at scale.

Not all are convinced. Dallas Kasaboski, an analyst at consulting firm Analysys Mason, said: “The successes have not exceeded the failures.” He added that many in the industry remain cautious until Starship can prove it is consistently reliable.

Rival companies are also watching closely. Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin saw its New Glenn rocket debut earlier this year after years of ground testing, while the Boeing-Lockheed Martin joint venture United Launch Alliance launched its Vulcan rocket in 2024. Both took a slower path to flight than SpaceX’s rapid cycle of iteration.

Despite criticism, Starship is not seen as being in crisis. SpaceX remains the world leader in launches with Falcon 9, and its Dragon capsules continue to ferry astronauts to the International Space Station. But the stakes are rising: Nasa is depending on a modified Starship to deliver its Artemis lunar lander by 2027, while Musk still speaks of sending an uncrewed SpaceX Starship to Mars as early as next year.

With time short, further test flights are planned. Musk, typically bullish, has said he believes Starship will eventually be able to launch more than 24 times in a single day. Whether that ambition can survive the realities of orbital refuelling, deep-space reliability, and safety certification remains the challenge.

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[Image Credit | Fox News]

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