August 28, 2025 – In a resounding demonstration of engineering resilience, SpaceX’s Starship completed its 10th test flight with a breathtaking landing burn and splashdown that landed within just three meters of its target—despite intentional structural compromise and visible heat damage.
SpaceX shared stunning slow-motion footage capturing the descent: the Starship, reentering with intentionally removed heat shield tiles and aft skirt components, executed stress-inducing maneuvers on its flaps. The spacecraft sustained visible damage to its aft skirt and flaps yet retained full control, executing a precise flip-and-burn maneuver before splashing down nearly on point.
The recovery team’s meticulous coordination and pre-positioning of cameras—including one mounted on a Starlink terminal fixed to a buoy—made this cinematic documentation possible.
Flight 10 marked a major rebound for SpaceX after a string of earlier test failures. This mission successfully met all primary objectives:
- Successful First-Time Payload Deployment: The Starship upper stage deployed eight dummy Starlink satellites from its payload bay—its first in-space payload release.
- Controlled Soft Splashdown: After a flawless flight, Starship completed a protected splashdown in the Indian Ocean. Its Super Heavy booster also executed a controlled landing burn and splashed down safely in the Gulf of Mexico.
- Critical Data Collection Under Duress: The flight delivered valuable performance data on heat shield durability, structural integrity during reentry, and reusable system resilience.
This triumph represents a significant technological milestone, signaling progress toward fully reusable spacecraft capable of deployment, reentry, and landing—even when intentionally stressed.
In response, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk praised the achievement on social media, underscoring that this flight marks a crucial step forward for human interplanetary ambitions
Mission Highlights at a Glance
| Achievement | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Payload Deployment | 8 dummy Starlink satellites released |
| Reentry Survivability | Survived with missing tiles and aft damage |
| Landing Accuracy | Splashdown within ~3 meters of target |
| Recovery and Documentation | Captured with buoy-mounted camera and support team |
SpaceX continues its rapid development trajectory of Starship and Super Heavy, refining technologies essential for future lunar missions, Mars expeditions, and large-scale satellite deployments.
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