SpaceX launched the 10th test flight of the second-generation Starship, sending the stainless steel spacecraft halfway around the world to a targeted splashdown in the Indian Ocean. The mission marked the first successful flight of the upgraded vehicle after three earlier failures and a ground explosion that destroyed the originally planned ship. Engineers received reentry data on the upgraded heat shield and control flaps for the first time. The ship arrived intact beside a prepositioned buoy northwest of Australia, then tipped and exploded upon splashdown. A large section of the hull turned from silver to a rusty orange-brown, possibly indicating heat-related stainless steel damage that may prompt further heat shield design changes.
The largely successful mission for the world's largest rocket was an important milestone for SpaceX's Starship program after months of repeated setbacks, including three disappointing test flights and a powerful explosion on the ground that destroyed the ship that engineers were originally readying for this launch. For the first time, SpaceX engineers received data on the performance of the ship's upgraded heat shield and control flaps during reentry back into the atmosphere.
And there were lessons to learn from Tuesday's test flight. The ship made it all the way to the Indian Ocean intact, arriving next to a prepositioned buoy northwest of Australia, where it was just after sunrise Wednesday morning at the time of splashdown. A camera on the buoy showed the ship slowing down before contacting the water, then tipping over and exploding as expected.
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