Part 11/15:
SpaceX continues to push the boundaries of spaceflight. The recent Starship launch went remarkably well, with the spacecraft performing a successful subsonic fly-through and cooling experiments. While the booster did not attempt a catch landing—diverting to splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico—the spacecraft itself remained intact upon landing, an unprecedented achievement.
Elon Musk lauded the launch as a success, emphasizing the invaluable data collected, which will inform future full reusability and rapid turnaround goals. The Starship's handling of intense heat and stress exceeded expectations, underscoring SpaceX's capability to master full-scale reusable rockets.