SpaceX launched its Starship mega-rocket on its tenth integrated test flight Tuesday evening, lifting off from Starbase in South Texas at 6:30 p.m. local time after two weather-related scrubs. The 403-foot vehicle rose on the thrust of 33 methane-fueled Raptor engines before the Super Heavy booster separated and executed a planned water landing in the Gulf of Mexico. The Starship upper stage completed a 67-minute flight that ticked off several long-sought objectives. Roughly 30 minutes into the mission it released eight dummy Starlink satellites, the first payload ever deployed from the spacecraft. A vacuum-optimized Raptor then restarted in space, and upgraded heat-shield tiles were trialed during the probe’s fiery return. Starship performed a flip maneuver and splashed down upright in the Indian Ocean, with SpaceX reporting that “every major objective was met.” The success ends a run of three failed Starship attempts earlier this year and advances SpaceX’s goal of making the fully reusable system operational for heavy-lift launches and deep-space travel. NASA has ordered two Starships to ferry astronauts to the lunar surface under its Artemis III mission later this decade, while founder Elon Musk positions the vehicle as the linchpin of future crewed missions to Mars.