Watch SpaceX’s stunning Starship prototype ‘hop’ test flight and landing

SpaceX achieved a big win in their Starship spacecraft development program on Tuesday evening, flying the SN5 prototype of that future vehicle to a height of around 500 feet, propelled by a single Raptor engine. The test, which took place at SpaceX's rocket development and testing facility in Boca Chica, Texas, marks the first time that a full-scale Starship prototype has left the ground.

The company released a video of the whole test, including footage captured both from a drone's-eye-view, as well as from a camera mounted on board Starship SN5, inside the fuselage and offering a look at the Raptor engine in action, as well as the landing legs activating in preparation for landing.

Following the successful test, SpaceX CEO and founder Elon Musk outlined next steps for the Starship development process, which includes several" more short hops, followed by high altitude testing. The landing legs will also go through some changes, first extending in length and then becoming much wider and taller, with the ability to land on more uneven terrain, according to Musk.

SpaceX successfully flies its Starship prototype to a height of around 500 feet