SpaceX Starship Test: 8 dummy satellites released in 10th flight, rocket destroyed, now FAA investigation continues

SpaceX has completed the 10th test flight of its Starship rocket. During this mission, the company succeeded in delivering payload into space for the first time. The flight, which launched from Starbase in Texas, had some technical successes and some losses.

In this 10th flight on August 26, 2025, Super Heavy Booster (Booster 16) took off and tried to land in the Gulf of Mexico, but it exploded on impact. The upper part of Starship (Ship 37) successfully released 8 dummy Starlink satellites and made a soft landing in the Indian Ocean, although there is a possibility of an engine explosion during re-entry.

Moving forward in this program, the 12th test flight was conducted on 22 May 2026. It used the new V3 vehicle and Raptor 3 engine. During this period, 20 Starlink simulators were launched into space. But due to a glitch with the booster, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has now started an investigation and currently all Starship flights have been banned.

According to future plans, SpaceX has appointed Chun Wang as the mission commander for the first manned mission to Mars. This will be preceded by a commercial manned flight around the Moon with Dennis and Akiko Tito. Company CEO Elon Musk has described these achievements as very important for the company’s long-term goals.