On Tuesday, August 26, 2025, Elon Musk’s SpaceX conducted the tenth test flight of the Starship rocket. The flight aimed to overcome technical difficulties from past launches and to confirm the rocket’s reusable capabilities for future missions to Mars, as well as to test new guidance and payload-delivery systems.
The enormous 123-meter-tall Starship system lifted off at around 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in South Texas. As part of the test, new thermal-protection tiles, an upgraded satellite deployment system, and other enhancements compared with earlier versions were tested.
After separating the rocket’s upper stage from the first stage – the 70-meter-tall Super Heavy – a new engine configuration was tested. Usually the first stage returns to Earth and lands in the launch tower using special ‘legs’, but this time it successfully landed in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico – enabling testing of an alternative return scenario.
The Starship itself reached space, entered orbit, and headed toward the Indian Ocean, where it subsequently splashed down after traversing the atmosphere and withstanding extreme temperatures – a stage at which significant damage had previously occurred.
Later, in orbit, Starship for the first time tested its payload deployment system, which resembles a dispenser. The Starlink satellite mockups were successfully released, marking an important step in testing on-orbit deployment capabilities.
This launch confirms progress in reusable technologies and the safe delivery of payloads to various orbits. SpaceX continues to collect data on the stability of control systems, the thermal protection system, and integration with orbital platforms, bringing closer the realization of long-term plans for Mars flights and the deployment of the global Starlink infrastructure.
