SpaceX’s Starship rocket has achieved its first full test flight, surviving re-entry and marking a breakthrough for the system that could eventually send humans to Mars.

Previously, three missions ended with the rocket, which is nearly 121 meters (400 feet) tall, disintegrating or exploding. This time, however, Starship survived re-entry and made a controlled descent into the Indian Ocean, around 65 minutes after launching from Texas.

“Despite the loss of many tiles and a damaged flap, Starship successfully made a soft landing in the ocean!” Elon Musk, SpaceX's CEO, posted on X.

“This was a great day for humanity’s future as a spacefaring civilization!” he continued.

Launching from Boca Chica, Texas, at 7:50 am (12:50 GMT), Starship soared into space and traversed halfway across the globe.

The rocket ascended to nearly 211 kilometers (130 miles) and reached speeds over 26,000 km/h (16,000 mph) before beginning its descent. A live feed depicted spacecraft parts breaking off during the intense heat of re-entry, with debris even cracking the camera lens.

However, the spacecraft remained sufficiently intact to relay data to its intended splashdown point in the Indian Ocean.

This mission's success is pivotal for SpaceX's goal of developing a reusable rocket system, which both NASA and Musk envision as essential for future moon and Mars exploration.

NASA has contracted a modified Starship to land astronauts on the moon under the Artemis program, contingent upon the company proving its safety.

“Congratulations SpaceX on Starship’s triumphant test flight today!” NASA chief Bill Nelson posted on X. “We are a step closer to bringing humanity back to the Moon and aiming for Mars.”

SpaceX adheres to a philosophy of conducting real-world tests rather than laboratory simulations.

The next challenge involves developing a “fully and immediately reusable orbital heat shield,” Musk stated, with more tests planned to create a reusable satellite launcher and moon lander.

With plans to return astronauts to the moon by 2026, NASA is counting on Starship amid a space race with China, which aims for a manned lunar mission by 2030. China recently made strides with its lunar program, including a second successful sample retrieval from the far side of the moon.

In April 2023, Starship's first launch exploded minutes after takeoff, 40 km (25 miles) above ground. A second attempt in November failed after reaching space, and a third flight in March broke apart during re-entry 64 km (40 miles) above the Indian Ocean.