SpaceX launches Starship for the 10th time, deploys 8 fake Starlink satellites for the first time

SpaceX has just conducted its 10th Starship test flight from Starbase, Texas, marking an important step in the development of the next-generation spacecraft. The highlight of this test was the first time Starship deployed 8 fake Starlink satellites into a simulated orbit, to verify

Starship – a 123-meter-tall rocket system, made its 10th test flight at 7:30 p.m. on August 26 (local time) from the Starbase complex in South Texas, USA. Just three minutes after takeoff, the Super Heavy booster separated, sending the upper body of Starship into space.

In this test, the Starship deployed eight dummy Starlink satellites into space. There were no astronauts on board for this test launch. The dummy satellites were launched around the 30th minute of the flight. This was the first time Starship tested its satellite launch capability—a feature that is critical to SpaceX’s future commercial satellite launch business.

SpaceX's Starship deploys the first dummy Starlink satellite during its 10th test flight. (Source: Reuters)

About an hour after liftoff, Starship re-entered Earth’s atmosphere at hypersonic speeds over the Indian Ocean, testing its hexagonal heat shields. SpaceX hopes to develop a protective shield that can be reused multiple times without major repairs—an unprecedented breakthrough in spaceflight history.

Most spacecraft have had to replace or restore their heat shields after each flight due to the harsh corrosion caused by atmospheric friction. Even NASA’s space shuttle, which reused its shield dozens of times, still had to replace many parts.

“There are thousands of technical challenges remaining for both Starship and the booster, but perhaps the biggest challenge is developing a reusable heat shield in orbit,” Elon Musk admits.

The mission ended with a controlled vertical landing off the coast of western Australia. Shortly afterwards, the 52-meter-tall Starship collapsed and exploded in a giant fireball – a predictable scenario, likely triggered by the flight-abort system.

Compared to the three previous tests that failed early, the 10th launch is considered a big step forward, demonstrating the effectiveness of the "test until it fails" strategy that SpaceX has consistently pursued.

NASA Acting Administrator Sean Duffy congratulated SpaceX on the X network, stating: “ The success of the 10th flight paves the way for the Starship Lunar Landing System, which will return American astronauts to the Moon on the Artemis III mission.”

Artemis III – scheduled for 2027 – would be the first mission to return humans to the Moon in more than 50 years. However, many experts believe progress could be slow due to the massive amount of development work that lies ahead. Before it can carry humans, Starship must demonstrate the ability to refuel directly in space and land safely on the Moon’s rough surface.

NASA has ordered two Starships to land astronauts on the Moon by the end of the decade. For Elon Musk, the goal is to send humans to Mars.

On the commercial front, Elon Musk expects SpaceX to generate around $15.5 billion in revenue this year, with its Starlink satellite internet service playing a key role. The success of Starship is crucial, as Musk wants to use it to launch larger batches of Starlink satellites, rather than relying on the Falcon 9 rocket as it does now.

Thanh Tra

Link: Source: Reuters

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