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2h ago

Starship’s 10th Test Deploys Simulated Satellites, Re‑Ignites Engine, and Achieves Indian Ocean Splashdown

The flight delivered first‑time demonstrations—an in‑space payload deployment plus a Raptor re‑ignition—that SpaceX says will support a faster test cadence.

Starship, el megacohete de SpaceX, despega este martes en una exitosa misión de prueba.
El megacohete Starship de SpaceX tiene 120 metros de altura.
El supercohete Starship de Space X inicia su vuela.

Overview

  • SpaceX launched Starship from Starbase, Texas, after two scrubs, with the upper stage splashing down in the Indian Ocean about an hour after liftoff.
  • The mission marked the vehicle’s first in‑space payload operation, releasing eight simulated satellites through its side door.
  • SpaceX reported a successful in‑space Raptor re‑ignition, a step viewed as key for future deorbit burns and mission profiles.
  • Reports differ on the Super Heavy booster’s splashdown location, with outlets citing the Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico, or the Indian Ocean after a landing‑burn test.
  • Reentry heating damaged a protective engine skirt and partially melted a control flap, but the spacecraft remained controllable to splashdown, and the company signaled plans to quicken the test tempo to meet program goals tied to NASA’s Artemis work.