SpaceX completed a successful test flight of its newest generation rocket, Starship. This was the firm’s 10th test flight, and this accomplishment contrasts with the explosive launches that SpaceX has been having so far this year.

SpaceX Successful Test Launch

The world’s largest and most powerful rocket built to date took off from Texas just after 18:30 local time for a 60-minute flight. The flight was successful, despite certain complications, including parts of the engine exploding and flaps on the side of the rocket catching on fire.

This victory comes after three unsuccessful Starship launches this year, including one rocket that exploded on its test stand in June.

During the flight, all of the booster’s 33 engines fired up. After approximately seven minutes, the booster separated from the spacecraft and fell to Earth. The ship continued to ascend, reaching a height of around 200km, before floating around the planet.

Starship is designed to one day become a fully reusable transport system for carrying people to the Moon and Mars. NASA has even contracted SpaceX and the Starship as part of its Artemis Program in 2027.

“This is also a big step forward for NASA’s Artemis program, but there’s still a lot of development work to happen to get this spacecraft ready and to be rated to carry humans safely to the Moon,” Dr. Simeon Barber, a planetary scientist at the Open University, stated to the BBC.

SpaceX’s unique approach has been to fail fast and learn fast, rather than taking a cautious approach. Having a successful launch allowed SpaceX to gather crucial data from the take-off, landing, and cruising, which will prove invaluable for planning more successful launches in the future.

“They appeared to achieve all of their test objectives,” said Todd Harrison, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington-based think tank, according to the New York Times. “I think this puts SpaceX back on track.”