SpaceX completed a major milestone with its 10th test flight of the Starship upper stage, successfully executing a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean — a feat the company has been pursuing for years.
The historic landing was met with celebration, and now new details are emerging about the flight, including the mysterious orange material seen on the ship’s underside during descent. Latest Forecast
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CEO Elon Musk revealed in a post-flight update that the orange hue was “oxidized metal,” commonly known as rust. According to Musk, SpaceX engineers had intentionally placed an uncoated steel tile among the heat-resistant tiles on Starship 37 to test its durability during reentry.
The test proved conclusive: the steel tile did not su