SpaceX has achieved a significant milestone in its Starship program. During the 10th test flight, the company successfully deployed eight prototypes of Starlink satellites for the first time. The launch was postponed several times due to weather and technical issues, but it proceeded without any incidents. Previously, Starship had exploded during ascent in earlier flights.
The 10th flight commenced at 6:30 PM Central Time on August 26, 2025 (02:30 AM August 27 Kyiv time) from the Starbase launch site in Texas. The Super Heavy first stage ignited all 33 Raptor engines, lifting the rocket above the Gulf of Mexico. After stage separation, Super Heavy executed a series of complex maneuvers, including landing burns, intentionally shutting down one of the three central engines in the final phase and using a backup. It even performed a brief "hover" above the water before a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
The upper stage of Starship continued its journey into space and successfully deployed the eight Starlink satellite prototypes, as well as performed a Raptor engine relight in space, a key technology for future deorbit maneuvers.
Particular attention was given to the return phase: the thermal protection and structure of Starship were deliberately subjected to extreme conditions to gather more data on the strength of the design.
SpaceX emphasized that this flight represents an important step towards full reusability of the Starship system, but challenges remain in developing the technology for the upper stage's return for reuse.
