SpaceX has faced public scrutiny for its previous Starship test failures. Its leadership insists that the company's rapid break-it-fix-it strategy is all part of the company's unique iterative philosophy — in stark contrast with NASA 's much slower and careful approach.

After a series of high-profile setbacks, SpaceX made significant progress in righting the ship for its Starship program, at least for one mission. The latest generation of the world's most powerful rocket and spacecraft combo completed its mission on Tuesday evening during its 10th test flight, achieving the company's primary objectives.