The mega rocket, launched from Starbase in Texas, deployed eight dummy satellites into orbit before beginning its descent. After coasting for over an hour, Starship re-entered Earth’s atmosphere and tilted on approach, with cameras capturing a fireball as it struck the ocean surface.
Despite the spectacular finale, SpaceX hailed the mission as a success, marking its tenth flight test and the first to demonstrate payload deployment. The company and NASA plan to use Starship for future lunar and Mars missions.
