Explosions all expected and on schedule this time

SpaceX has finally managed a test flight of Starship without anything creating an impromptu firework display.

Aside from some very minor issues, Flight Test 10 was a complete success for the company. This will be a great relief to its engineers and NASA managers, who depend on Elon Musk's mighty rocket for their lunar ambitions.

The rocket launched on time, at 2330 UTC on August 26 (1830 CDT, local time in Texas). One of the Super Heavy Booster engines failed during the ascent, but as SpaceX's enthusiastic commentator noted, it did not affect the mission. After separation, the booster made a controlled splashdown into the Gulf of Mexico and demonstrated a hover above the water with only two engines running before eventually reaching the surface and exploding as expected.

The second stage continued its climb to space with all engines running and no sign of the leaks and ...