Splashdown in the Indian Ocean After 66-Minute Flight
Landing Achieved Without Explosion
SpaceX has successfully completed the tenth test flight of its large spacecraft "Starship," which is being developed with the goal of Mars exploration.
According to SpaceX's online live broadcast, Starship was launched toward low Earth orbit from the Starbase facility at Boca Chica Beach, Texas, at 6:30 p.m. local time on the 26th. About three minutes after launch, the first-stage rocket booster, known as "Falcon Heavy," separated from the second-stage spacecraft and, as planned, splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico.
During this test flight, unlike previous flights, there was no attempt to recover Falcon Heavy using the chopstick arm equipment on the launch pad. Instead, splashdown experiments and data collection were conducted in preparation for the possibility of an unexpected engine shutdown.
The second-stage spacecraft, Starship, entered orbit and continued its flight smoothly. For the first time, it succeeded in deploying eight model satellites similar to Starlink satellites. The model satellite deployment experiment had been planned in a previous test flight but could not be carried out because the hatch on the spacecraft's surface failed to open.
The success of this experiment is seen as a major milestone that not only advances Mars exploration but also increases the commercial launch potential of Starship for satellites, thereby boosting SpaceX's future revenue prospects. Until now, SpaceX has deployed Starlink satellites using its main rocket, Falcon 9. However, by using the much larger Starship, it will be possible to launch more newly developed advanced satellites into space at once.
After the model satellite deployment experiment, Starship followed its planned trajectory and splashed down in the Indian Ocean after a flight of about 66 minutes, remaining relatively intact. While a small portion beneath the steering flaps, which are attached like wings, showed minor burning due to frictional heat during atmospheric reentry, the feared explosion of the spacecraft did not occur.
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, founded the company in 2002 with the goal of enabling humanity to travel to and live on Mars, and has spent over 20 years developing rockets and spacecraft. Starship is also scheduled to play a key role in NASA's Artemis project, which aims to send humans to the Moon for the first time in half a century.
After the test flight was completed, SpaceX posted on X (formerly Twitter), "Splashdown confirmed," and congratulated the entire team on completing Starship's exciting tenth test flight. CEO Musk also commented on X during the flight, saying, "Great work by the SpaceX team."
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