By Hugo Barcia
Miami, US (EFE).- SpaceX’s Starship took a major step toward future missions to the Moon and Mars on Tuesday, after the company’s powerful rocket completed its 10th test launch and landed in the Indian Ocean, following three consecutive failed attempts.
The milestone reassured NASA and SpaceX about the vehicle’s potential, though significant hurdles remain before certification for human spaceflight.
The flight marked the first time the upgraded upper stage of Starship splashed down in the Indian Ocean after more than an hour of flight, closing a chapter of explosive setbacks.
Previous versions of the spacecraft had reached the ocean, but the redesigned model introduced in January had failed in three straight launches.
“This is a huge achievement for the team,” SpaceX founder Elon Musk wrote on X, noting that the success could shorten the gap between test launches, which has ranged from six to 12 weeks due to lengthy investigations into failures.
Starship is designed as a reusable vehicle, something Musk has called “the holy grail of space travel” because it would dramatically reduce the cost of missions.
The two-stage rocket, consisting of the Super Heavy booster and the Starship spacecraft itself, stands 123 meters (403.5 feet) tall and can carry between 100 and 150 tons of payload.
Toward a new generation
The Tuesday test was one of the final flights before SpaceX updates Starship to a new version.
Musk described the upcoming model as “a massive upgrade” and predicted “intense flight activity in 2026.”
The company expects to roll out the V4 version, equipped with 42 engines and larger dimensions, by 2027.
So far, the Super Heavy booster has successfully returned to its Texas launch site, but Starship itself has yet to perform a vertical landing on solid ground, a crucial milestone for missions to Mars.
Another challenge is orbital refueling. A journey to Mars, lasting around six months, would require Starship to refuel in space, a capability SpaceX has not yet tested.
Musk admitted in May that the odds of an uncrewed Mars mission in 2026 had dropped to “about 50%.”
NASA’s Artemis mission and certification
Beyond Mars, Starship is central to NASA’s Artemis III mission, scheduled for 2027, which aims to return astronauts to the lunar surface for the first time in more than half a century.
However, NASA requires rigorous safety certifications before allowing crews to board. According to the agency, spacecraft must demonstrate systems capable of withstanding failures, maintaining life-support conditions, and offering astronauts control and situational awareness.
The standards also demand a maximum probability of one fatality per 500 crewed ascents or descents, a threshold Starship has yet to meet.
Still, NASA has reiterated its commitment to SpaceX as a partner.
“Starship is critical to our plan to return humans to the Moon and push toward Mars,” the agency said in a recent statement.
For Musk, the endgame remains the same: “a self-sustaining city on Mars.”
But while Starship’s 10th test flight signaled progress, the path to making that dream a reality is long and uncertain. EFE
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