SpaceX's tenth Starship test flight reached orbit after two earlier scrubbed attempts, with Ship 37 successfully deploying eight Starlink mass simulators and completing an in-space Raptor engine relight test over Africa — a key milestone for future satellite deployment missions. Booster 16 also tested an engine-out landing scenario, successfully engaging a backup engine after one booster engine shut down roughly 93 seconds into flight.
The mission wasn't clean, however. During Ship 37's reentry at roughly 90 kilometers altitude, an explosion tied to blocked engine chill lines caused severe damage to the vehicle's aft skirt. Both the booster and upper stage ultimately splashed down and broke apart on impact with the ocean, though within their planned target zones, and SpaceX has said it is investigating the chill-line failure.
The flight followed three delays — an oxidizer line leak, unfavorable anvil clouds, and a weather scrub — before finally launching successfully. Despite the reentry mishap, reaching orbit and completing the in-space engine relight represent meaningful progress for a program that has faced a string of setbacks, as SpaceX works toward the reliability needed for its most ambitious Starship missions.
