Successful flight with exceptional control. They got ambitious and even went for a soft landing.

Next time.

From SpaceX:

On Wednesday, December 9, Starship serial number 8 (SN8) lifted off from our Cameron County launch pad and successfully ascended, transitioned propellant, and performed its landing flip maneuver with precise flap control to reach its landing point. Low pressure in the fuel header tank during the landing burn led to high touchdown velocity resulting in a hard (and exciting!) landing.

Thank you to all the locals supporting our efforts in Cameron County and beyond. Congratulations to the entire Starship and SpaceX teams on today’s test! Serial number 9 (SN9) is up next – Mars, here we come!

Advance to 1:47:30 for blastoff and landing

At 1:52:55 watch Starship reorient itself and make a controlled descent.  The level of control SpaceX has over its rockets is remarkable and represents a major leap forward for America in space.  CFACT looks forward with confidence to softer final landings.