Elon Musk's SpaceX successfully completed the 13th test flight of its Starship megarocket, achieving a soft splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
Elon Musk successfully tested the Starship megarocket on Friday evening, marking the 13th flight for the aerospace company. The rocket, which is the largest ever built, launched from Starbase, Texas, and achieved a soft splashdown in the Indian Ocean. This flight served as the first since the company's record IPO last month. During the mission, the Super Heavy booster detached two minutes into the flight and made a controlled splashdown in the Gulf. While the booster experienced a "hard splashdown" after some engines failed to relight, the upper stage remained intact. SpaceX also successfully deployed 20 new Starlink V3 satellites into orbit during the flight. The administration of SpaceX designed the rocket to be fully reusable, aiming to lower costs for orbital cargo. While the test showed progress, industry experts noted that the company still faces challenges in achieving rapid reusability for the entire ship. SpaceX plans to use the rocket for future NASA missions to the moon and Mars.