SpaceX’s mega-rocket Starship makes a test flight from Starbase. (Pic credit: AP) After a series of setbacks, SpaceX launched its mega Starship rocket once again on Tuesday evening, aiming to complete its most ambitious test flight yet, deploying mock satellites and splashing down in the Indian Ocean.The 403-foot (123-meter) Starship lifted off from Starbase, SpaceX’s launch facility at the southern tip of Texas, marking the ninth demonstration of the company’s next-generation spacecraft. For the first time, the test flight featured a reused booster, which separated mid-flight and headed for a splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. Unlike past launches, there were no attempts to recover the booster using the giant “chopsticks” landing arms at the launch site.Tuesday’s mission had several firsts. Starship was tasked with releasing eight dummy satellites, stand-ins for SpaceX’s Starlink internet satellites, during its flight, a significant step toward proving the spacecraft’s capability for future orbital missions. The flight was expected to end with the rocket plunging into the Indian Ocean, thousands of miles from its launch point.This comes after two high-profile failures earlier this year, when Starship test flights ended just minutes after liftoff, disintegrating over the Caribbean. While no one was hurt in those incidents, the debris disrupted air travel and drew scrutiny from regulators. The Federal Aviation Administration cleared this latest test after SpaceX expanded the hazard zone and adjusted the launch window to avoid interfering with peak flight times.In preparation for this flight, engineers made critical upgrades to the rocket, including enhanced thermal protection tiles and experimental fittings designed to assist in future recovery missions. Though Tuesday’s vehicle was not intended to return intact, SpaceX used the test to gather data for future catch-and-reuse efforts.Spectators in small tourist boats gathered in the waters near Starbase, hoping to glimpse the historic flight. A live stream showed CEO Elon Musk at mission control, wearing a black “Occupy Mars” T-shirt — a nod to Starship’s ultimate destination.
