SpaceX's Starship completes successful test flight after a year of mishaps

SpaceX's Starship rocket lifts off from Starbase, Texas, as seen from South Padre Island on August 26, 2025, for its tenth test flight. RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP

SpaceX launched the latest test of its mega rocket Starship on Tuesday night, August 26, and completed the first-ever deployment of a test payload – eight dummy satellites – into space. After just over an hour coasting through space, Starship splashed down as planned in the Indian Ocean.

Starship blasted off from Starbase, SpaceX's launch site in South Texas, just after 6:30 pm. It was the 10th test for the world's biggest and most powerful rocket, which SpaceX and NASA hope to use to get astronauts back on the moon.

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