SpaceX successfully launches Starship payload into orbit for the first time during tenth test launch

SpaceX has reached a major milestone in its Starship program. During its 10th test flight, the company successfully deployed its first payload, eight Starlink satellite prototypes. The launch was delayed several times due to weather and technical issues, but it went off without incident. Starship previously exploded during liftoff on its seventh, eighth, and ninth flights. In June, another explosion occurred on the ground during launch preparations.

The tenth flight launched at 18:30 US Central Time on August 26, 2025 (02:30 August 27, Kyiv time) from the Starbase spaceport in Texas. The Super Heavy first stage fired all 33 Raptor engines and lifted the rocket over the Gulf of Mexico. After the stages separated, the Super Heavy performed a series of complex maneuvers, including landing braking, intentionally shutting down one of the three center engines in the final phase and using the backup. It even performed a brief "hover" over the water before a controlled splashdown.

The Starship upper stage continued its flight into space and successfully deployed eight Starlink satellite mockups for the first time, as well as conducting an in-space re-ignition of the Raptor engine — a key technology for future deorbit maneuvers.

Particular attention was paid to the reentry phase: the Starship's thermal protection and hull were deliberately subjected to extreme loads to collect more data on the strength of the structure.

SpaceX emphasized that this flight is an important step towards the full reusability of the Starship system, but the creation of technology for returning the upper stage for reuse still lies ahead.