SpaceX's massive Starship rocket successfully completed its 10th test flight Tuesday evening, lifting off from the company's Starbase facility in Starbase, Texas, after two previous delays.
The spacecraft launched just after 7:30 p.m. Central Time, marking a significant milestone for the mega-rocket program. The first two launch attempts were scrubbed due to ground system issues on Sunday and weather conditions on Monday, but the third attempt proved successful.
About 19 minutes into the flight, eight Starlink satellite simulators began deploying into orbit from the Starship as cheers erupted from mission control. The deployment marked a key test of the vehicle's satellite delivery capabilities.
During the flight, SpaceX conducted several critical tests, including evaluations of heat shield tiles and stress tests on the spacecraft's systems. The entire test mission was designed to last one hour and six minutes, concluding with a planned splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
The successful flight comes after a series of failures for the Starship program. The three previous test flights — Flight 7, 8 and 9 — all failed shortly after liftoff. Additionally, another Starship exploded on the launchpad in June, highlighting the challenges SpaceX faces in developing the massive rocket system.
These test flights serve as crucial opportunities for SpaceX to identify and resolve issues that could impact future missions. The Starship is central to several high-profile space exploration goals, including NASA's plan to land Artemis astronauts on the moon and SpaceX's ambitious future mission to Mars with humans on board.
