Starship’s bittersweet triumph: on its 12th flight, SpaceX still hasn’t solved one of the biggest problems for going to the Moon

SpaceX’s Starship Flight 12 achieved liftoff, stage separation, payload deployment, and upper-stage splashdown in the Indian Ocean.

The Super Heavy booster suffered multiple engine failures, could not slow properly on return, and broke apart during reentry.

One Starship engine also shut down early, though the vehicle compensated and completed the mission.

The flight marked real progress for a reusable, Moon-capable system, but major engine and reentry issues remain before Artemis missions can be reliable.