In November, SpaceX’s owner, Elon Musk, explained on X why the heat shield changes were vital: “The biggest technology challenge remaining for Starship is a fully & immediately reusable heat ...

NASA has even authorized the Falcon 9 and its Dragon ... SpaceX aborted the booster catch, diverting the first stage to an ocean splashdown. Starship was sporting several new heat shield materials ...

SpaceX says the test flight introduced a redesigned upper stage with enhancements such as an improved heat shield, increased propellant capacity and updated avionics. The company says the updates ...

Starship’s heat shield also received a makeover ahead of Flight Test 7. SpaceX is trying out it’s latest tile technology and adding an extra layer of protection. Some areas of the heat shield ...