After impacting the Indian Ocean, the heat shield of the Starship rocket after Flight 10 looked decidedly strange with an orange rainbow of sorts (SpaceX) The flight is a critical milestone for SpaceX, however, as the rocket achieved all of its major test objectives, delivering the Starship upper stage and its Super Heavy booster.
It made headlines around the world when the ship was seen on its leeward side sporting the bright orange coloration. SpaceX has not announced the reason, although it may have originated during an extreme performance assessment on different metallic heat shield tiles.
FLIGHT 10: A NEW MILESTONE FOR THE SPACEX STARSHIP
Though not without its challenges: Starship flights 7, 8, and 9 struggled to even make it out of the atmosphere on their own, with Flight 9 losing control of its flight during reentry just moments after passing over the suborbital boundary. But, Flight 10 was different; that was the change. The rocket not only met all its goals but also demonstrated upgraded heat shield performance.
The red-orange color has to do with metallic test tiles that oxidized during descent, Musk explained, and white areas correspond to exposed insulation, where tiles were intentionally removed. That disputes earlier suggestions those heat shield tiles got lost during reentry. That tile reportedly almost completely stayed attached in Flight 10, so we think the latest upgrades are looking good.”
First Testing of Heat Shield and Engine in Space
SpaceX was able to sustain more than just the act of travelling; Flight 10 also served up the opportunity for in-space engine reignition, something that is a vital demonstration for taking control once you enter orbital space. Dummy Starlink satellites were also successfully deployed, demonstrating a potential future use of the Starship to expand Starlink coverage. For Starship to be ready for ongoing use and for SpaceX to receive approval from the FAA to conduct orbital test flights, this dual success is critical.
The pad’s metallic heat shield tiles for Flight 10 were an effort to test its resilience, along with intentional gaps in their installation. Such upgrades allow for complete reusability, paving the way for rapid Starship flight cadence in the future.
SpaceX Starship Never Looked So Exciting In Gorgeous Photos
SpaceX posted new images of the upper stage Starship in its battle-worn state, streaked in bright orange to show the stress the vehicle went through on reentering the atmosphere. Super Heavy chalenger 33 engines firing in synchrony after liftoff, as shown in dramatic footage. SpaceX has big plans to leverage such raw power. (Sanjay Bhatt / The Seattle Times)
These not only showcase the variety of engineering accomplishments but also helps in building transparency around the testing of Starship, an important aspect in earning the trust of both the regulators and investors, as well as fans of spaceflight around the world.
Why Flight 10 Is a Milestone
- 2025- 1st monumental successful Starship test
- Extreme Conditions: Heat shield tiles survived on the shield
- In-space engine reignition successfully demonstrated
- Dummy Starlink satellites deployed
- Super Heavy booster performed flawlessly
All of these accomplishments move SpaceX closer than ever to routine orbital test flights, scaling Starlink hardware and driving humanity towards Mars.
FAQ
The orange color was due to metallic heat shield tiles burning off on reentry. The white areas indicate insulation only 1 white tile is removed.
No: Elon Musk said the tiles “pretty much all stuck” this time on reentry, a significant update from past flights.
Flight 10 assessed engine restart in space and successfully placed dummy Starlink satellites into orbit.
With Flight 10, SpaceX ticked off all primary goals — heat shield durability, booster performance, Starlink release — and is one step closer to generic orbital test flights.
This successful deployment of satellites enables SpaceX to prepare to take steps to expand Starlink service to more customers around the world.
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