The mission marked the 10th launch of Starship since SpaceX began testing the 403-foot-tall rocket in 2023—and a rebound after a series of explosions and mishaps cut short several previous test flights. SpaceX founder Elon Musk has much riding on the rocket, envisioned to one day carry satellites, scientific devices and, eventually, astronauts.

SpaceX launched the latest test of its mega rocket Starship on Tuesday night and completed the first-ever deployment of a test payload eight dummy satellites into space. After just over an hour coasting through space,

SpaceX's Starship rocket on Tuesday deployed its first batch of mock Starlink satellites in space and tested new heat shield tiles on its plunge through Earth's atmosphere, clinching development milestones that had been held up by a streak of previous testing setbacks.