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SpaceX Starship Soars Again | Major Test Flight With Recycled Booster | N18G

SpaceX launched its Starship rocket for the ninth time on Tuesday evening from its Starbase site in Texas, aiming to complete a full test flight. The 403-foot rocket, designed for future moon and Mars missions, attempted to splash down in the Indian Ocean and deploy eight Starlink-like satellite models. However, the satellite door malfunctioned, preventing deployment. This flight featured a recycled booster, which was not recovered and fell into the Gulf of Mexico. Previous launches had ended in failure shortly after liftoff, but this mission showed progress. SpaceX made several upgrades, including improved thermal tiles and fittings for future capture tests. The FAA had recently cleared the flight with new safety measures in place. NASA is depending on Starship for its Artemis program, with plans for a crewed lunar flyby in 2026 and a landing in 2027. The flight marked another step toward making Starship a reliable vehicle for deep space travel.

first published: May 28, 2025 10:56 am