In a significant leap forward for its deep-space ambitions, SpaceX successfully launched its colossal Starship rocket on a milestone test flight Tuesday, achieving key objectives including the first-ever deployment of mock satellites.

The 123-meter (403-foot) vehicle, the most powerful rocket ever built, lifted off from SpaceX's Starbase facility in Texas at 7:30 p.m. EDT (2330 GMT). The flight, the tenth for the Starship program, followed several previous attempts scrubbed due to technical faults and unfavorable weather.

The mission marked several critical firsts. Approximately three minutes into the flight, the Starship upper stage successfully separated from its Super Heavy booster. Roughly 30 minutes later, it demonstrated a crucial capability for future operations: satellite deployment. The spacecraft ejected eight dummy Starlink satellites into orbit using a new "Pez"-style dispenser.

On its return to Earth, Starship tested upgraded heat shield tiles during reentry, a test that was declared successful before the vehicle made its planned splashdown in the Indian Ocean.

This test flight is a cornerstone for two major spacefaring goals. For NASA, Starship is the designated vehicle to land astronauts on the Moon under the Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the lunar surface for the first time since Apollo. The agency stated that Tuesday's success brings the rocket closer to proving it can handle the complex maneuvers needed for deep space missions.

For SpaceX founder Elon Musk, Starship is the backbone of his vision to make humanity a multiplanetary species. Musk described the flight as an "exciting" step toward that long-term goal of ferrying people and cargo to the Moon and eventually Mars. He has emphasized the rocket's full reusability as the key to affordable spaceflight.

Despite the progress, significant hurdles remain. Musk has previously stated that the most difficult engineering challenge is developing a fully reusable heat shield that, unlike the Space Shuttle's, can be reused immediately without lengthy refurbishment.

Another untested and critical milestone is orbital refueling, a complex process of transferring super-cooled propellant between spacecraft in orbit. This technology is essential for fueling Starship for the long journey to the Moon and beyond.