SpaceX’s Starship completed its 13th full-scale test flight from South Texas, flying for about an hour and crossing roughly half the globe before executing a precise splashdown in the Indian Ocean. The vehicle remained structurally intact, slowly tipping over and floating off Australia’s coast, allowing drone inspections that showed more than 18,000 ceramic heat tiles withstood temperatures near 1,430 degrees Celsius. The Super Heavy booster failed to achieve a controlled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico after some Raptor engines did not restart, though it completed a full 33-engine return burn. Elon Musk indicated the next flight may attempt a launch-tower catch of Starship itself, a key step for NASA’s Artemis-related plans.

Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.