SpaceX's Starship Achieves First Controlled Re-Entry in Pivotal Test Flight

SpaceX achieved a critical milestone in its Starship program during the fourth integrated flight test (IFT-4), successfully demonstrating a controlled atmospheric re-entry for the first time. The spacecraft survived the intense heat and forces of re-entry, transmitting valuable data back to Earth before making a controlled landing burn and a soft splashdown in the Indian Ocean.

This success represents the most significant progress to date toward SpaceX's ultimate goal of developing a fully and rapidly reusable interplanetary transportation system.

NASA publicly acknowledged the achievement, underscoring the Starship vehicle's pivotal role as the human-rated lunar lander for its upcoming Artemis missions to the Moon.