TLDR · BIG TECH & STARTUPS

SPACEX SENT STARSHIP TO ORBIT — THE NEXT LAUNCH WILL TRY TO BRING IT BACK

techcrunch.com3 min read

Summary from the TLDR newsletter

SpaceX's Starship's next test flight could be on June 5. The main objective of the test will be to evaluate the second stage's reusable heat shield as the vehicle tries to safely reenter the atmosphere for the first time. Composed of around 18,000 ceramic hexagonal tiles, the heat shield is vulnerable to even the loss of a single tile in most places. SpaceX still needs to receive a commercial launch license from the US FAA before the launch can move ahead.