See the view of the flight 8 Starship launch from a camera on the launch mount. The SpaceX Mega Rocket launched from Starbase, Texas. Credit: SpaceX | edited by Space.com

After over 200 days of construction and testing, including a new booster and pad, Starship Version 3 successfully conducted its flight 12. This test flight featured significant in-space operations and potentially revealed damage to the rocket.

SpaceX plans to use the capsules shaped like giant hockey pucks for cargo delivery and as space production platforms.

SpaceX’s growing U.S. defense contracts and Starshield boost IPO appeal, with stable long-term revenue and major wins.

A little more than five years ago, a shiny white Falcon 9 rocket made its debut flight, boosting a Cargo Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station. Over the next year, it would launch a pair of astronaut missions and a handful of commercial spacecraft.