SpaceX launched the 11th integrated flight test of the Starship rockets on Monday, marking a second consecutive major success for the program.
The space vehicle successfully traveled halfway around the world while releasing payload stimulators, just as it did during the previous flight.
Starship, the most powerful rocket, cracked into the evening sky from the southern tip of Texas.
The super heavy booster peeled away and made a controlled entry into the Gulf of Mexico.
Meanwhile, the Starship continued its flight, skimming space before plunging into the Indian Ocean; nothing was recovered.
Considering the 11th test flight for a full-scale Starship, SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk has reiterated his plan to send people to Mars.
The space agency is unable to land astronauts on the Moon by the end of this decade without the 403-foot (123-meter) Starship.
Starship is the reusable vehicle with the ability to get astronauts from lunar orbit down to the surface and back up.
The previous test flight occurred in August after a series of failures followed by a similar path with similar intentions.
This time, more strategic tactics have been used, particularly for the spacecraft.
SpaceX has conducted a series of experimental tests during the spacecraft’s entry over the Indian ocean as practice for future landings.
NASA’s acting administrator Sean Duffy praised Starship development on X, stating, “Another major step landing Americans on the Moon's south pole.”
Additionally, SpaceX is reshaping its Cape Canaveral launch sites to accommodate Starships and the smaller Falcon rockets used to transport astronauts and supplies to the International Space Station for NASA.
Nonetheless, the 11th integrated flight test of Starship marks an outstanding achievement that wraps the development phase for the current vehicle version and for future missions.