Episode Details

SpaceX’s Starship rocket soared again on July 24, 2026, blasting off from Texas on a daring test flight—halfway around the world to deploy 20 new Starlink satellites, while NASA watched closely as this mission paves the way for future lunar landings. Standing at 407 feet, the rocket lifted off flawlessly, with all 33 engines firing, though not enough relit for a controlled booster return, leading to a crash in the Gulf of Mexico. Meanwhile, the spacecraft completed its mission, successfully deploying satellites at 124 miles altitude and returning with a record-breaking, gentle splashdown in the Indian Ocean—marking SpaceX’s best reentry yet. Six of the new satellites even captured stunning images of Starship’s heat shield during reentry, offering critical data for future recovery efforts. This was the 13th Starship flight and the second for the V3 version this year—both intentionally designed for ocean splashdowns, not recovery.

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