SpaceX's Starship megarocket successfully completed its 13th test flight on Friday, marking a significant milestone as the first mission since Elon Musk's company went public on Wall Street in June. The massive vessel, which stands approximately 122 meters or 400 feet tall, concluded its journey by splashing down into the Indian Ocean.
The successful landing was met with celebration from SpaceX employees who monitored the event from the company's headquarters in Starbase, Texas. Providing confirmation of the mission's status, Elon Musk wrote on X, "Starship is intact, floating in the ocean and transmitting telemetry!"
During the hourlong test flight, the rocket deployed 20 Starlink satellites into suborbital space. According to the company, these satellites briefly established contact with SpaceX's existing network of approximately 10,000 orbiting satellites before reentering Earth's atmosphere to burn up as planned. SpaceX stated that the test will provide critical data as the firm prepares to expand its Starlink constellation of satellite internet services.
This latest achievement stands in contrast to previous test attempts, which had resulted in the rocket exploding or catching fire at splashdown, or breaking up while in midair.
