Incredible Footage Shows How Starship S37 Landing burn and Splashdown Shocked whole industry...

The wait is over. SpaceX has released the Starship flight 10 landing footage, revealing the dramatic final moments of the mission. At the same time, SpaceX has set a new reusability record tied to the number 30, while NASA has unveiled the Orion Artemis control room for future lunar missions. Let's explore it all on today's episode of Great SpaceX. After the live stream of Starship's 10th flight, countless clips and images began circulating across the internet, each highlighting different moments of the mission. Yet, one particular moment caught nearly everyone's attention. The landing of ship 37, marked by its striking and unusual white and orange appearance. Viewers immediately wondered whether SpaceX would share highquality footage of this critical step, and now SpaceX has delivered. The company recently posted two videos and two images on X accompanied by the message view of Starship landing burn and splashdown on flight 10 made possible by SpaceX's recovery team. For the first time, we were able to watch the landing sequence from much closer than before with the speed slowed down just enough to reveal details that had previously been hidden in the blur of rapid motion. In these new videos, S37 can be seen still in the middle of its flip maneuver. The footage clearly shows the flaps folding forward while the sea level Raptor engine pivots on its gimbals to adjust direction. These movements gradually reoriented the ship back into a vertical position. This was not just about navigation. The process also slowed the vehicle's descent, allowing it to touch the water in a controlled and deliberate fashion. SpaceX confirmed the details of the test, stating, "Starship made it through re-entry with intentionally missing tiles, completed maneuvers to intentionally stress its flaps, had visible damage to its aft skirt and flaps, and still executed a flip and landing burn that placed it approximately 3 m from its targeted splashdown point." That last part is especially important. To land a massive spacecraft within just three meters of its target splashdown site shows remarkable precision, even when accounting for the intentional stresses and challenges introduced into the test. And then there was the spectacle itself. As S37 met the ocean surface, enormous plumes of water and vapor burst skyward. The way the light caught the scene, a faint rainbow appeared in the mist, adding an almost poetic beauty to the moment. Against the backdrop of the vast blue ocean and the heavy clouds overhead, it looked less like a test and more like a work of art. Of course, the ultimate goal is not to splash down in the ocean forever. These demonstrations are part of the gradual path toward catching Starship with the Mechazilla arms on the launch tower. Still, every controlled descent and every test of precision lays the groundwork for that ambitious goal. But beyond the landing mechanics, the most talked about detail was the spacecraft's unusual color. The combination of deep orange red hues covering most of the ship paired with the stark white of the nose cone left many wondering what had happened. Some even remarked that it looked like a miniature Mars with its reddish body capped with white poles. In fact, that analysis was not far from the truth. Musk himself provided an explanation shortly after the footage was released. He confirmed that the orange color is rust from rapid oxidation of metallic testiles. Essentially, coolant had leaked onto some of the experimental metallic heat shield tiles, causing a reaction that produced iron oxide. This characteristic orange red coloration is a byproduct of those reactions, and it explains why the phenomenon was absent on earlier flights that did not carry the metallic tiles. SpaceX later clarified, the red color is from some metallic test tiles that oxidized. Musk added that the white areas were insulation applied where tiles had been removed visible on the nose cone and across the ship's body, matching pre-flight images. Fortunately, these effects did not compromise the mission, Musk noted. Worth noting that the heat shield tiles almost entirely stayed attached, so the latest upgrades are looking good. This shows the system is improving. However, challenges remain. While tiles stayed in place, oxidation and discoloration suggest the heat shield is not yet ready for full reusability. If large portions must be replaced after each flight, rapid turnaround is lost. For true reusability, tiles must not only survive re-entry, but remain flight ready across multiple missions. The metallic tiles are still experimental, and flight 10 revealed more work is needed. Adjustments in material composition may reduce oxidation. And while they could one day replace ceramic tiles, for now they remain in testing. Looking ahead, attention turns to S38 for flight 11. Early images suggest new refinements in its heat shield, though it remains to be seen whether these changes will fully solve the oxidation issue or simply improve durability. For now, Flight 10 stands as proof of rapid progress. Watching S37 flip, decelerate, and splash down with precision is a testament to how far the program has advanced in just 10 flights. The question is, will Flight 11 bring even greater progress? If you're ready to see what comes next, comment, let's do it, and subscribe to follow SpaceX's bold journey toward full reusability. The adventure is only beginning, and every flight takes us closer to the future of exploration. But wait, the heat shield isn't the only critical component that SpaceX is focused on upgrading. Recently, Musk revealed that SpaceX plans to begin attempting to catch the ship with the Mechazilla arms starting on flight 13. That means that both flight 11 and flight 12, which will also be the very first V3 flight, are expected to still end with splashdowns in the ocean. This will allow SpaceX to dedicate these flights to rigorous testing and to implement stronger upgrades with less risk, preparing the vehicle for the challenges that lie ahead. With the ship itself, we must remember that during flight 10, one of its engines experienced a slight explosion at the 47th minute of flight. Although this event did not cause critical problems afterward, it highlights the need for reinforcement and improvement. The engines must be made more efficient and more reliable to ensure consistent performance. across longer missions. If SpaceX truly wants to send Starship deeper into space, every component of its propulsion system must be built to endure without faltering. Next, there is the protection system for the aft flaps, which are always subjected to intense stress during re-entry. Over the course of recent flights, the aft flaps have consistently been the part most affected by extreme heating and mechanical strain. It's becoming increasingly clear that this area needs a breakthrough in design and material strength. An upgrade in this area will be crucial not only for the safety of the vehicle, but also for the reusability that SpaceX aims to perfect. In addition to resolving those issues, other upgrades will need to target even larger challenges. For example, the payload system must be improved to potentially carry heavier and more varied cargo. After all, Starship is designed to be the workhorse for missions to the moon, Mars, and beyond. Increasing payload capacity while maintaining vehicle safety and efficiency will be a key step forward. Returning to the engines, they must also be enhanced to handle higher performance levels in space. Longer burn times during relight maneuvers will be necessary for orbital insertions, course corrections, and return trajectories. These improvements will help prepare Starship not only for simple test flights, but also for orbital missions, eventual landings back at Starbase, and future long-d distanceance journeys beyond Earth. As for Super Heavy, the booster is not exempt from the need for upgrades. One recurring issue has been the complete failure of some engines during flight. This must be addressed to guarantee consistent propulsion efficiency and to support precision landings. The structural integrity of the booster also requires reinforcement, particularly as landing angles are expected to increase in future flights. Testing maneuvers such as active flips or landings with only two engines will add even more stress, making it essential for the overall structure to be strengthened ahead of those attempts. So, all eyes are now on SpaceX as we wait to see what kinds of refinements and bold upgrades they will implement for flight 11 and 12. Each step forward brings the Starship program closer to its ultimate goals. With that being said, let us turn to another milestone that SpaceX has just achieved, a new reusability record. Falcon 9's achievements are so frequent that they have almost become a normal expectation. Yet, their significance cannot be overlooked. The latest record is especially historic and deserves recognition. At 4:12 in the morning, Eastern Standard Time on August 28th, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 from launch complex 39A, carrying 28 satellites into orbit. What makes this mission stand out is the booster reusability record that was set. The booster for this mission, B1067, successfully landed on the drone ship, A Shortfall of Gravitas, marking the very first time an orbital class rocket has successfully launched and landed 30 times. After the mission, SpaceX proudly declared, "Falcon 9 completes the first 30th launch and landing of an orbital class rocket." SpaceX president Gwyn Shotwell added her own words of praise, "From learning to land a rocket to flying the same booster 30 times. Congrats to the SpaceX team for continuing to make the impossible possible." The milestone of 30 reuses is unprecedented. It represents the culmination of 15 years of progress and innovation, where SpaceX not only learned how to land rockets, but also mastered the ability to reuse them on a scale that was once unimaginable. By leveraging both land-based landing zones and autonomous drone ships at sea, SpaceX has built a reusability system that combines flexibility, reliability, and cost effectiveness. This approach has enabled them to accelerate their launch cadence, reduce costs for customers, and dominate the commercial launch market. At this point, Falcon 9 has become the gold standard of orbital launch vehicles. With this achievement, SpaceX continues to lead the reusability race by a wide margin. Among its fleet, booster B1067 now stands as the leader. SpaceX has already set a goal of achieving up to 40 launches per booster. That means B1067 is now only 10 flights away from reaching that target. If no major issues arise, it seems very likely that it'll achieve that mark. This milestone of 30 is worth celebrating, not just for SpaceX, but for the entire space industry, because it demonstrates what is possible when ambition meets engineering innovation. And for our final segment of today's updates, let us move on to another important development, NASA's preparations for the Aremis program. On August 15th, NASA unveiled the new Orion Aremis control room at Johnson Space Center called the mission evaluation room or MER. It features a modern design and will serve as the engineering backbone for Orion operations. ME provides behindthe-scenes analysis of Orion's performance, working alongside the white flight control room, which handles flight operations. Together, they form a two room system, one to guide the spacecraft, the other to monitor its health. The facility will debut during Artemis 2, a 10-day crude mission around the moon. Staffed 24/7 across 24 consoles, personnel from NASA, Lockheed Martin, issa, and Airbus will compare Orion's real-time data against expectations, identify issues, and provide solutions to ensure crew safety. Beyond Artemis 2, ME will collect vital data to shape Artemis 3 and future missions. Trey Perryman, lead for Orion Mission and Integration Systems, noted that while operations fly the spacecraft, MER brings the Reachback expertise of years of design and testing. With this addition, Artemis gains a new layer of safety and reliability as NASA prepares to send astronauts around and eventually onto the moon. Facilities like me will be central to ensuring every detail is accounted for. In any case, folks, this has been Kevin with Great SpaceX. Don't forget to like the video and subscribe if you haven't already to stay uptod date with yours truly on the latest milestones in SpaceX's journey. Thank you so much for watching and always remember curiosity, imagination, and inspiration will follow you so long as you keep looking up called the mission evaluation room or myrr. Sorry. Okay. It features a modern design and will I got to redo it.