Sat Jan 18 08:04:07 UTC 2025: ## SpaceX Reflects on Two Decades of Progress After Latest Starship Test
**CAPE CANAVERAL, FL – January 18, 2025** – SpaceX founder Elon Musk marked the company’s 22nd anniversary by acknowledging the remarkable journey from a cluttered lab to launching the ambitious Starship rocket. Responding to a social media post showcasing this transformation, Musk simply stated, “We’ve come a long way.”
This reflection comes on the heels of a Starship prototype malfunction Friday. The upgraded Starship, carrying a test payload of mock satellites, lost contact with mission control approximately eight minutes after liftoff from SpaceX’s South Texas facilities. The incident caused temporary disruptions to airline routes over the Gulf of Mexico as a precaution against falling debris. Footage of the incident showed bright orange lights and smoke trails visible from Haiti.
Despite the setback, SpaceX has achieved significant milestones in its Starship program recently. The fourth flight test (June 6, 2024) saw both the Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage successfully survive atmospheric re-entry and complete controlled splashdowns. The fifth test (October 13, 2024) successfully recovered the Super Heavy booster at the launch site, with the upper stage achieving a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean. The sixth flight test (November 19, 2024) marked another success, featuring the first successful in-space relight of a Raptor engine. These successes highlight the ongoing development and progress of SpaceX’s ambitious Starship program.
First Piper 