Key takeawaysBusiness intelligence company MicroStrategys share (MSTR) has outperformed Bitcoin year-to-date, attracting more Wall Street giants as investors.The number of institutional investors with a minimum of $100 million holding MSTR rose to 738 from 667.MicroStrategy continues its bullish stance on Bitcoin as the company now holds 331,200 BTC, worth almost $29.7 billion.MicroStrategy has proven its stance and dominance with its Bitcoin reserve strategy. Moreover, its commitment to Bitcoin accumulation sparked its shares and attracted many investors.While retail investors are adopting MicroStrategys shares, MSTR institutional investors are not left out. A recent observation indicated a spike in the Wall Street giants that amassed MSTR as the share appreciated.Institutional investment managers with a minimum of $100 million in assets under management (AUM) filed 13F reports with the US SEC. These documents, often submitted within 45 days after the end of every quarter, provide details of each managers stock holdings as of September 30.The latest filings, submitted over the last week, disclosed that the number of institutional MSTR holders rose from 667 to 738. Also, the report showed that these companies hold MSTR valued at $15.3 billion in total.Further, the data showed that both Vanguard Group, the second-largest asset manager globally, and Capital International Investors purchased almost 16 million MSTR shares in Q3. This figure marks a 1,000% increase in their MSTR holdings.Similarly, Morgan Stanley, a prominent US-based investment bank, amassed 8 million MicroStrategy shares, representing a 500% quarter-over-quarter growth.Also, Bank of America and Goldman Sachs purchased 766,000 and 696,000 MSTR shares, respectively, within the third quarter. On the other hand, Susquehanna and State Street both bought 5.3 million MSTR shares.In 2020, MicroStrategy adopted a Bitcoin reserve strategy, making the primary crypto asset its basic reserve holdings. MicroStrategys share, MSTR, has recorded staggering growth since the company adopted this strategy, even outperforming Bitcoin.According to data from Google Finance, MSTR is up by over $461% year to date (YTD). On the other hand, Bitcoin has indicated less than 150% YTD growth, according to Coinmarketcap.MSTR trades at $384.79, reflecting a 12.96% increase over the past day.Microstrategy Makes Its Largest Single-Day Bitcoin Purchase, Scaling Holding to 331,200 BTCMicroStrategy has continued its bullish stance on Bitcoin as it accumulated more tokens recently. The business intelligence firm amassed 51,780 BTC tokens worth $4.6 million. The transaction marked MicroStrategys largest single-day Bitcoin purchase ever.This latest purchase comes at the heel of another accumulation on November 11, when the firm bought 27,200 BTC tokens worth $2.03 billion.According to data from SaylorTracker.com, the website that tracks MicroStrategys Bitcoin holdings and transactions, the company currently holds 331,200 BTC coins, worth $30.31 billion, in line with market prices.Recently, MicroStrategy announced its 21/21 plan to boost its Bitcoin accumulation. This plan will see the company raising $42 billion in three years, $21 billion each from equity and fixed-income issuances, respectively.Meanwhile, analysts, including Mark Palmer, reacted to MicroStrategys audacious moves and plans regarding Bitcoin accumulation and yields.On November 18, Palmer wrote to clients: MSTRs ability to generate compounding yield on its bitcoin holdings, enabled by leverage accrued through the repeated tapping of the US capital markets, differentiates its stock from alternative means of gaining exposure to Bitcoin such as spot bitcoin ETFs.Add Techreport to Your Google News Feed Get the latest updates, trends, and insights delivered straight to your fingertips. Subscribe now! Subscribe now Rida is a dedicated crypto journalist with a passion for the latest developments in the cryptocurrency world. With a keen eye for detail and a commitment to thorough research, she delivers timely and insightful news articles that keep her readers informed about the rapidly evolving digital economy. View all articles by Rida Fatima Our editorial processThe Tech Reporteditorial policyis centered on providing helpful, accurate content that offers real value to our readers. We only work with experienced writers who have specific knowledge in the topics they cover, including latest developments in technology, online privacy, cryptocurrencies, software, and more. Our editorial policy ensures that each topic is researched and curated by our in-house editors. We maintain rigorous journalistic standards, and every article is 100% written byreal authors.

Key takeaways21Shares XRP ETP, known as AXRP, has crossed $140 million in assets under management (AUM).AXRP has increased by 113% in the last month and over 225% since its launch.XRP physically backs AXRP and offers investors exposure to the popular cryptocurrency.In a Monday X post, 21Shares announced that its XRP ETP, known as AXRP, has surpassed $140 million in assets under management (AUM). This marks a significant growth for the fund since its launch in April 2019.AXRP, which offers investors exposure to XRP, has seen increasing interest in recent months. 21Shares reported through its website that AXRP now holds $142 million in AUM as of Monday, a major boost for the fund.According to the report, the fund is traded on several major European exchanges, including the SIX Swiss Exchange and Euronext Paris.The growth in AUM indicates that more investors are turning to XRP through 21Shares investment product. This provides an alternative way to gain exposure to the cryptocurrency without directly buying and holding XRP.Impressive Performance of the FundThe net asset value (NAV) per unit of AXRP, as of November 18, stands at $32.92. In the past 30 days alone, the ETP has surged by 113%, showcasing a strong return for investors.Over the past three months, AXRP has grown by 95%, while year-to-date performance has seen the fund appreciate by nearly 98%.Since its inception, AXRP has gained a total of 225%, underscoring the impressive long-term performance of the fund. AXRPs success reflects broader market trends as investors increasingly seek out cryptocurrency-based investment products.The funds physical backing by XRP ensures that it holds actual XRP tokens, making it more appealing to investors who prefer more direct exposure to the asset.Its important to note that while AXRP is an exchange-traded product (ETP), its not the same as an exchange-traded fund (ETF).Growing Institutional Demand for XRPThe rapid growth of AXRP mirrors a broader trend of rising institutional interest in XRP. This shift comes amid increasing confidence in the regulatory landscape for cryptocurrency, especially in the United States.Many investors see regulatory clarity as key to XRPs future growth, and recent developments have sparked optimism.In addition, the election of pro-crypto Donald Trump has raised hopes that SEC Chair Gary Gensler could be replaced. This could lead to a favorable settlement in the long-standing Ripple vs. SEC case.If XRP gains further regulatory approval, it could attract even more institutional investors, fueling further growth for funds like AXRP.Further, 21Shares US entity has filed for an XRP spot ETF in the US. This move follows similar filings by other asset managers, including Bitwise and Canary, signaling that more financial institutions are looking to capitalize on the growing demand for XRP.Grayscale, another major player in the cryptocurrency investment space, may also be eyeing the market. In September, Grayscale launched its XRP Trust, and the company has a track record of converting trust products into ETFs.This growing interest from institutional players further solidifies XRPs place as one of the top cryptocurrencies in the market.Add Techreport to Your Google News Feed Get the latest updates, trends, and insights delivered straight to your fingertips. Subscribe now! Subscribe now Rida is a dedicated crypto journalist with a passion for the latest developments in the cryptocurrency world. With a keen eye for detail and a commitment to thorough research, she delivers timely and insightful news articles that keep her readers informed about the rapidly evolving digital economy. View all articles by Rida Fatima Our editorial processThe Tech Reporteditorial policyis centered on providing helpful, accurate content that offers real value to our readers. We only work with experienced writers who have specific knowledge in the topics they cover, including latest developments in technology, online privacy, cryptocurrencies, software, and more. Our editorial policy ensures that each topic is researched and curated by our in-house editors. We maintain rigorous journalistic standards, and every article is 100% written byreal authors.

Today, we're re-reviewing the Core Ultra 9 285K just kidding! Instead, we're throwing Intel's latest flagship CPU to the wolves, and by that we mean we are comparing it head-to-head with the Ryzen 7 9800X3D across 45 games.What we want to know is how these CPUs compare across a wide range of games or, more specifically, how much faster the 9800X3D is. For this review, we're sticking with the new format. Instead of showing individual results for a dozen or so titles and summarizing the margins for the rest, we'll present results for five games at a time. This way, you can see the FPS data for every game tested.As always, all CPU gaming benchmarks are conducted at 1080p using the GeForce RTX 4090. If you're curious why this is the best approach for evaluating CPU performance in games today and into the future, we have an article for that right here.Now, let's dive into the graphs!Gaming BenchmarksThe Last of Us, Cyberpunk, Hogwarts Legacy, ACC, Spider-ManFor our first batch of games, let's begin with The Last of Us Part 1. This is an example where the 285K performs quite well, resulting in the 9800X3D being only 5% faster a negligible margin. In this scenario, both CPUs deliver exceptional performance, as expected from flagship processors.However, the 285K stinks in Cyberpunk 2077, choking the RTX 4090 to just 151 fps. As a result, the Ryzen 7 processor is an impressive 45% faster. The 9800X3D also crushes the 285K in Hogwarts Legacy, delivering 43% better performance. The margins are even more brutal in ACC, where the AMD processor outpaces the Intel CPU by a staggering 75%. While performance improves for Intel in Spider-Man Remastered, the 9800X3D still maintains a 15% lead.Baldur's Gate 3, Homeworld 3, APTR, Flight Simulator, StarfieldNext, we have Baldur's Gate 3, where the 9800X3D is 34% faster, jumping from 131 fps to 176 fps. The margins become even more striking in Homeworld 3, with the 9800X3D achieving 58% better average frame rates and an incredible 117% improvement in 1% lows.The 285K also performs unexpectedly poorly in A Plague Tale: Requiem, averaging just 123 fps compared to 195 fps on the 9800X3D a 59% performance boost for the AMD CPU.In Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, the 9800X3D maintains a strong lead with an average of 95 fps, a 34% improvement over the 285K. The Intel CPU shows one of its best results in Starfield, though even here, the 9800X3D is 10% faster.Horizon Forbidden West, Horizon Zero Dawn, Watch Dogs, Far Cry 6, T&LIn Horizon Forbidden West, the 285K delivers one of its best performances, coming within a few percentage points of the 9800X3D. However, in Horizon Zero Dawn, the Ryzen 7 processor is 29% faster. The 9800X3D also outpaces the 285K by 46% in Watch Dogs Legion and 28% in Far Cry 6, while the margin is negligible in Throne and Liberty.Hitman 3, Callisto Protocol, SoTR, Halo, Warhammer 3Next is Hitman 3, where AMD's 3D V-Cache processor is just 7% faster. Both CPUs provide more than enough performance for this older game. We've updated the benchmark for The Callisto Protocol to a less GPU-bound test, showing the 9800X3D outperforming the 285K by 42%.We're also seeing a 24% increase in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and like Hitman 3 performance here is much higher than is required, but it's a good benchmark tool for comparing the gaming performance of these two parts. Then we see that performance in Halo Infinite and Warhammer III is near enough to be identical.Black Ops 6, Borderlands 3, Riftbreaker, Remnant 2, SWJSThis next set of results begins with Black Ops 6, where the 9800X3D is 19% faster. Although the 285K is more than capable in this case, the Ryzen 7's significant advantage suggests better longevity.Similarly, in Borderlands 3, the 9800X3D delivers a 21% improvement. In The Riftbreaker, the 285K faces a substantial defeat, with the 3D V-Cache processor is a whopping 42% faster.In Remnant 2, the 285K produces relatively low frame rates for a high-end CPU, making the 30% improvement provided by the 9800X3D highly noticeable, especially for those using high refresh rate monitors. Finally, in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, the 9800X3D delivers a crushing 45% performance lead.War Thunder, Skull and Bones, Returnal, Ratchet & Clank, Dying Light 2And here we have yet more gaming data. Those seeking ultimate performance in War Thunder will find the 285K underwhelming, as 266 fps is not particularly impressive in this title. This also means the 9800X3D was nearly 50% faster.Performance in Skull and Bones, Returnal, and Ratchet & Clank is nearly identical, with no clear winner. However, the 9800X3D delivers a 19% performance uplift in Dying Light 2.Forza Horizon 5, Forza Motorsport, Gears 5, Ghost of Tsushima, HuntThe 9800X3D is only slightly faster in Forza Horizon 5, but it shows a 21% improvement in Forza Motorsport. In Gears 5, the Core Ultra 9 processor is completely outmatched, managing just 180 fps with 1% lows of 101 fps. This results in the 9800X3D being 62% faster. Margins are more modest in Ghost of Tsushima and Hunt: Showdown, though the 9800X3D is comfortably ahead in both cases.World War Z, F1 24, Rainbow Six Siege, Counter-Strike 2, FortniteThe 285K is once again crushed, with the 9800X3D delivering a 27% lead in World War Z and an 18% advantage in F1 24. Similar gains are observed in Rainbow Six Siege, where the Ryzen 7 processor provides 26% greater performance, and in Counter-Strike 2, where it delivers a 30% improvement.In Fortnite, we encountered a compatibility issue with Easy Anti-Cheat, which prevented the game from running on the 285K. We reported the issue to Intel over a week ago, and they have informed us that they are working with Epic Games on a fix. Hopefully, this will be resolved soon.Assassin's Creed x2, Space Marine 2, SW Outlaws, Dragon Age: The VeilguardFinally, we arrive at the last set of results, starting with Assassin's Creed Mirage, where the 9800X3D leads by a comfortable 22%, pushing frame rates beyond 200 fps. In Valhalla, the 9800X3D shows only a 5% improvement in average frame rates but an impressive 64% advantage in 1% lows, based on a three-run average.Space Marine 2 is heavily CPU-limited, making the 27% performance boost from the 9800X3D a significant advantage, particularly for those using high-refresh-rate displays. Similarly, Star Wars Outlaws is CPU-intensive, but here, the 9800X3D is just 5% faster. Lastly, in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, the 9800X3D maintains a 15% lead.45 Game AverageHere's how the Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Core Ultra 9 285K compare head-to-head across the 45 games tested. There are no instances where the Ryzen processor was slower. Margins within 5% are considered a tie, as differences of 1 3% are not statistically significant.Across the 45 games, we found the 9800X3D to be, on average, 24% faster. While this margin is smaller than our review data, that's because reviews often emphasize CPU-limited gaming. This dataset includes several GPU-limited titles, such as Forza Horizon 5.What's particularly troubling for the 285K is the number of games where the Ryzen CPU led by over 40%. Hopefully, this is something Intel can address, but it seems the 285K may simply not be ideal for gamers.When looking at the 1% lows, the story remains largely the same. The 9800X3D provides, on average, 29% better 1% lows. While there are notable double-digit gains across many titles, the overall averages and 1% lows paint a consistent picture.What We LearnedTo say this was a one-sided bashing, with AMD wielding the 3D V-Cache hammer, would be stating the obvious. Intel's 285K got annihilated. You might think that's a bit over the top, after all the 285K delivered perfectly acceptable gaming performance in most titles tested, but we are talking about Intel's latest high-end CPU, and at $630, it is far from cheap.Granted, the Core Ultra 285K is a much better productivity CPU. However, that's not the competition the 9800X3D was built for it's designed for gaming. As it stands, the 9800X3D is the best gaming CPU available, with the previous-generation Ryzen 7 7800X3D coming in as the next best.Worse still for the 285K, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D is expected early next year. It will likely claim the productivity crown from Intel's 285K. Even now, it's unclear whether the 285K holds that title, as the 9950X already outperforms it in several productivity workloads.Returning to gaming, if you're looking for the absolute best in CPU performance, Intel is no longer part of the conversation, which is shocking. The 9800X3D is simply too fast. Intel has admitted that Arrow Lake missed the mark and promised performance fixes by December, but expectations remain uncertain.Intel's Robert Hallock has publicly acknowledged that specific BIOS and OS-level settings have caused issues that negatively impacted performance. It's likely that Windows scheduling improvements will stabilize performance across a broader range of games. Compatibility problems, such as those with Easy Anti-Cheat, also need to be resolved. We are aware of Intel's statements about Arrow Lake's performance, if they manage to get out some updates before year's end, you can rest assured we'll re-test everything you've seen here.Shopping Shortcuts:AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D on AmazonIntel Core Ultra 9 285K on AmazonAMD Ryzen 9 9950X on AmazonIntel Core Ultra 7 265K on AmazonAMD Ryzen 7 9700X on AmazonAMD Ryzen 7 7700X on AmazonAMD Ryzen 5 9600X on Amazon

Forward-looking: Real-time translation is often cited as one of the most practical applications of generative AI, and Microsoft plans to bring this feature to its video conferencing and team collaboration software early next year. The company also showcased numerous new and upcoming AI features at its recent Ignite 2024 event. One of the many Copilot "AI agents" coming soon to Microsoft 365 aims to translate speakers' voices during meetings in Microsoft Teams. The functionality will enter public preview in early 2025.Supported languages include Mandarin, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Brazilian Portuguese, and Spanish.Users can also instruct the agent to replicate their voice and speaking style in the translated language. Additionally, a new AI transcription feature in Teams supports translations into 31 languages. Another translation tool, launching next year, enables Copilot to convert entire PowerPoint presentations into one of 40 languages without changing their formatting.Microsoft's new Copilot enterprise agents essentially customizable AI-based apps were first introduced a month ago. The first wave was designed to automate some tasks for sales and finance companies, a new wave of these agents will roll out to other industries between now and early 2024.For example, Copilot will soon be able to recap Microsoft Teams discussions, answer participant questions, and summarize files shared in chat. A feature launching later this month will allow Copilot to schedule one-on-one meetings by analyzing users' calendars, identifying mutually available times, and drafting meeting agendas. // Related StoriesAgents have also come to Microsoft's SharePoint tools. A new AI assistant can summon information about a company and its products to assist customers, train new team members, or plan budgets. Additionally, 365 subscribers can implement SharePoint Advanced Management at no extra cost starting early 2025.ServiceNow, Workday, Cohere, and other companies are also preparing to release more AI agents in the coming months. Meanwhile, Copilot is expected to expand its data access capabilities through partnerships with companies like S&P Global and CB Insights.Microsoft's Ignite 2024 announcements show the company is betting heavily on GenAI. However, features like translation, summaries, and queries hinge on accuracy a persistent challenge for AI due to the well-documented issues of hallucinations.Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff harshly criticized Microsoft's initial Copilot Agent rollout, citing insufficient accuracy, data, and security. However, Salesforce is attempting to compete with its Agentforce AI tools. The recent debut of Apple Intelligence has called generative AI summaries into question, with numerous unintentionally funny results spreading on social media.Microsoft contends that limiting AI agents to information from user-determined datasets will ensure accuracy. The upcoming public betas will put that claim to the test.

Samsung may be ready to change one of the long-standing negatives about its otherwise desirable Galaxy A5x series phones the charging speed. For the Galaxy A55s replacement, currently expected to be called the Galaxy A56, Samsung may introduce 45W charging speeds, a big increase over the current 25W charging, according to a report originating in China.The source is an official-looking certificate from the Chinese governments Quality Certification Centre (CQC) which is responsible for ensuring devices sold in China meet the required standards. The phone is listed as the SM-A5660, and seeing as the Galaxy A55s model number is the SM-A556, its not much of a stretch to assume were looking at details of the unreleased Galaxy A56. Apparently, the phones maximum 10V/4.5A system equates to a 45W charging speed.Recommended VideosThis would match Samsungs fastest phone charging option available, and is known as Super Fast Charging in its marketing. The Galaxy S24 Ultra currently supports 45W charging, and in our test a compatible charger and cable recharged the phones 5,000mAh battery in about 70 minutes. The Galaxy A55 has 25W charging and it takes about one hour 25 minutes to fully charge its own 5,000mAh battery.RelatedWhile this will be a significant boost in usefulness for the Galaxy A56 compared to the Galaxy A55, Samsung still lags behind other reasonably priced smartphones in charging speed, such as the OnePlus 12R. Its 80W charging system takes just 30 minutes to recharge the battery. However, Samsung uses the widely supported USB Power Delivery charging protocol, making it easier to buy different chargers, while OnePlus uses a proprietary protocol to enable its fast charging.This year Samsung released the Galaxy A55 around April, so we should expect its sequel to arrive around the same time in 2025. Whats more intriguing is what this could mean for the Galaxy S25 series. Will Samsung standardize 45W Super Fast Charging across its entire smartphone range, or will the S25 Ultra get a charging speed boost to further separate it from the base models? We will find out in 2025.Editors Recommendations

Sheet music, thankfully, isn't hidden away in chests or has to be purchased for crazy amounts of Gil, but a few do have some hidden requirements. Each new composition is found on a piano in the world and is free to snag once you sit down. Even if you don't feel like playing right then and there, make sure you always at least grab the music to add to your collection so you don't have to backtrack later and get it. There are eight in total to find, and some will only come later in the story, but none are missable once you open up fast travel back to previous areas. This is the natural order you can collect them.

The countrys data centers are ill prepared for the impending demand for AI networking, made more extreme by increased use of chatbots and AI agents. How some networking providers and data center operators are upgrading their infrastructure to meet demand.

Directed by Michael Mayer and featuring a fierce star turn from John Gallagher Jr., this musical draws on the bands songs to depict the misbegotten voyage of a 19th-century ship.

The surrealist painter joins a small group of artists whose work has sold for over $100 million.

Turning point The key moment came 38 minutes after Starship roared off the launch pad SpaceX wasn't able to catch the Super Heavy booster, but Starship is on the cusp of orbital flight. Stephen Clark Nov 19, 2024 11:57 pm | 36 The sixth flight of Starship lifts off from SpaceX's Starbase launch site at Boca Chica Beach, Texas. Credit: SpaceX. The sixth flight of Starship lifts off from SpaceX's Starbase launch site at Boca Chica Beach, Texas. Credit: SpaceX. Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreSpaceX launched its sixth Starship rocket Tuesday, proving for the first time that the stainless steel ship can maneuver in space and paving the way for an even larger, upgraded vehicle slated to debut on the next test flight.The only hiccup was an abortive attempt to catch the rocket's Super Heavy booster back at the launch site in South Texas, something SpaceX achieved on the previous flight October 13. The Starship upper stage flew halfway around the world, reaching an altitude of 118 miles (190 kilometers) before plunging through the atmosphere for a pinpoint slow-speed splashdown in the Indian Ocean.The sixth flight of the world's largest launcherstanding 398 feet (121.3 meters) tallbegan with a lumbering liftoff from SpaceX's Starbase facility near the US-Mexico border at 4 pm CST (22:00 UTC) Tuesday. The rocket headed east over the Gulf of Mexico propelled by 33 Raptor engines clustered on the bottom of its Super Heavy first stage.A few miles away, President-elect Donald Trump joined SpaceX founder Elon Musk to witness the launch. The SpaceX boss became one of Trump's closest allies in this year's presidential election, giving the world's richest man extraordinary influence in US space policy. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) was there, too, among other lawmakers. Gen. Chance Saltzman, the top commander in the US Space Force, stood nearby, chatting with Trump and other VIPs. Elon Musk, SpaceX's CEO, President-elect Donald Trump, and Gen. Chance Saltzman of the US Space Force watch the sixth launch of Starship Tuesday. Credit: Brandon Bell/Getty Images From their viewing platform, they watched Starship climb into a clear autumn sky. At full power, the 33 Raptors chugged more than 40,000 pounds of super-cold liquid methane and liquid oxygen per second. The engines generated 16.7 million pounds of thrust, 60 percent more than the Soviet N1, the second-largest rocket in history.Eight minutes later, the rocket's upper stage, itself also known as Starship, was in space, completing the program's fourth straight near-flawless launch. The first two test flights faltered before reaching their planned trajectory.A brief but crucial demoAs exciting as it was, we've seen all that before. One of the most important new things engineers desired to test on this flight occurred about 38 minutes after liftoff.That's when Starship reignited one of its six Raptor engines for a brief burn to make a slight adjustment to its flight path. The burn only lasted a few seconds, and the impulse was smalljust a 48 mph (77 km/hour) change in velocity, or delta-Vbut it demonstrated the ship can safely deorbit itself on future missions.With this achievement, Starship will likely soon be cleared to travel into orbit around Earth and deploy Starlink internet satellites or conduct in-space refueling experiments, two of the near-term objectives on SpaceX's Starship development roadmap.Launching Starlinks aboard Starship will allow SpaceX to expand the capacity and reach of commercial consumer broadband network, which, in turn, provides revenue for Musk to reinvest into Starship. Orbital refueling is an enabler for Starship voyages beyond low-Earth orbit, fulfilling SpaceX's multibillion-dollar contract with NASA to provide a human-rated Moon lander for the agency's Artemis program. Likewise, transferring cryogenic propellants in orbit is a prerequisite for sending Starships to Mars, making real Musk's dream of creating a settlement on the red planet. Artist's illustration of Starship on the surface of the Moon. Credit: SpaceX Until now, SpaceX has intentionally launched Starships to speeds just shy of the blistering velocities needed to maintain orbit. Engineers wanted to test the Raptor's ability to reignite in space on the third Starship test flight in March, but the ship lost control of its orientation, and SpaceX canceled the engine firing.Before going for a full orbital flight, officials needed to confirm Starship could steer itself back into the atmosphere for reentry, ensuring it wouldn't present any risk to the public with an unguided descent over a populated area. After Tuesday, SpaceX can check this off its to-do list."Congrats to SpaceX on Starship's sixth test flight," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson posted on X. "Exciting to see the Raptor engine restart in spacemajor progress towards orbital flight. Starships success is Artemis 'success. Together, we will return humanity to the Moon & set our sights on Mars."While it lacks the pizazz of a fiery launch or landing, the engine relight unlocks a new phase of Starship development. SpaceX has now proven the rocket is capable of reaching space with a fair measure of reliability. Next, engineers will fine-tune how to reliably recover the booster and the ship, and learn how to use them.Acid testSpaceX appears well on the way to doing this. While SpaceX didn't catch the Super Heavy booster with the launch tower's mechanical arms Tuesday, engineers have shown they can do it. The challenge of catching Starship itself back at the launch pad is more daunting. The ship starts its reentry thousands of miles from Starbase, traveling approximately 17,000 mph (27,000 km/hour), and must thread the gap between the tower's catch arms within a matter of inches.The good news here is SpaceX has now twice proven it can bring Starship back to a precision splashdown in the Indian Ocean. In October, the ship settled into the sea in darkness. SpaceX moved the launch time for Tuesday's flight to the late afternoon, setting up for splashdown shortly after sunrise northwest of Australia.The shift in time paid off with some stunning new visuals. Cameras mounted on the outside of Starship beamed dazzling live views back to SpaceX through the Starlink network, showing a now-familiar glow of plasma encasing the spacecraft as it plowed deeper into the atmosphere. But this time, daylight revealed the ship's flaps moving to control its belly-first descent toward the ocean. After passing through a deck of low clouds, Starship reignited its Raptor engines and tilted from horizontal to vertical, making contact with the water tail-first within view of a floating buoy and a nearby aircraft in position to observe the moment. Here's a replay of the splashdown.The ship made it through reentry despite flying with a substandard heat shield. Starship's thermal protection system is made up of thousands of ceramic tiles to protect the ship from temperatures as high as 2,600 Fahrenheit (1,430 Celsius).Kate Tice, a SpaceX engineer hosting the company's live broadcast of the mission, said teams at Starbase removed 2,100 heat shield tiles from Starship ahead of Tuesday's launch. Their removal exposed wider swaths of the ship's stainless steel skin to super-heated plasma, and SpaceX teams were eager to see how well the spacecraft held up during reentry. In the language of flight testing, this approach is called exploring the corners of the envelope, where engineers evaluate how a new airplane or rocket performs in extreme conditions.Dont be surprised if we see some wackadoodle stuff happen here," Tice said. There was nothing of the sort. One of the ship's flaps appeared to suffer some heating damage, but it remained intact and functional, and the harm looked to be less substantial than damage seen on previous flights.Many of the removed tiles came from the sides of Starship where SpaceX plans to place catch fittings on future vehicles. These are the hardware protuberances that will catch on the top side of the launch tower's mechanical arms, similar to fittings used on the Super Heavy booster."The next flight, we want to better understand where we can install catch hardware, not necessarily to actually do the catch but to see how that hardware holds up in those spots," Tice said. "Today's flight will help inform, does the stainless steel hold up like we think it may, based on experiments that we conducted on Flight 5?"Musk wrote on his social media platform X that SpaceX could try to bring Starship back to Starbase for a catch on the eighth test flight, which is likely to occur in the first half of 2025."We will do one more ocean landing of the ship," Musk said. "If that goes well, then SpaceX will attempt to catch the ship with the tower."The heat shield, Musk added, is a focal point of SpaceX's attention. The delicate heat-absorbing tiles used on the belly of the space shuttle proved vexing to NASA technicians. Early in the shuttle's development, NASA had trouble keeping tiles adhered to the shuttle's aluminum skin. Each of the shuttle tiles was custom-machined to fit on a specific location on the orbiter, complicating refurbishment between flights. Starship's tiles are all hexagonal in shape and agnostic to where technicians place them on the vehicle."The biggest technology challenge remaining for Starship is a fully & immediately reusable heat shield," Musk wrote on X. "Being able to land the ship, refill propellant & launch right away with no refurbishment or laborious inspection. That is the acid test." This photo of the Starship vehicle for Flight 6, numbered Ship 31, shows exposed portions of the vehicle's stainless steel skin after tile removal. Credit: SpaceX There were no details available Tuesday night on what caused the Super Heavy booster to divert from its planned catch on the launch tower. After detaching from the Starship upper stage less than three minutes into the flight, the booster reversed course to begin the journey back to Starbase.Then, SpaceX's flight director announced the rocket would fly itself into the Gulf, rather than back to the launch site: "Booster offshore divert."The booster finished off its descent with a seemingly perfect landing burn using a subset of its Raptor engines. As expected after the water landing, the boosteritself 233 feet (71 meters) talltoppled and broke apart in a dramatic fireball visible to onshore spectators.In an update posted to its website after the launch, SpaceX said automated health checks of hardware on the launch and catch tower triggered the aborted catch attempt. The company did not say what system failed the health check. As a safety measure, SpaceX must send a manual command for the booster to come back to land in order to prevent a malfunction from endangering people or property.Turning it up to 11There will be plenty more opportunities for more booster catches in the coming months as SpaceX ramps up its launch cadence at Starbase. Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX's president and chief operating officer, hinted at the scale of the company's ambitions last week."We just passed 400 launches on Falcon, and I would not be surprised if we fly 400 Starship launches in the next four years," she said at the Barron Investment Conference.The next batch of test flights will use an improved version of Starship designated Block 2, or V2. Starship Block 2 comes with larger propellant tanks, redesigned forward flaps, and a better heat shield.The new-generation Starship will hold more than 11 million pounds of fuel and oxidizer, about a million pounds more than the capacity of Starship Block 1. The booster and ship will produce more thrust, and Block 2 will measure 408 feet (124.4 meters) tall, stretching the height of the full stack by a little more than 10 feet.Put together, these modifications should give Starship the ability to heave a payload of up to 220,000 pounds (100 metric tons) into low-Earth orbit, about twice the carrying capacity of the first-generation ship. Further down the line, SpaceX plans to introduce Starship Block 3 to again double the ship's payload capacity.Just as importantly, these changes are designed to make it easier for SpaceX to recover and reuse the Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage. SpaceX's goal of fielding a fully reusable launcher builds on the partial reuse SpaceX pioneered with its Falcon 9 rocket. This should dramatically bring down launch costs, according to SpaceX's vision.With Tuesday's flight, it's clear Starship works. Now it's time to see what it can do.Updated with additional details, quotes, and images.Stephen ClarkSpace ReporterStephen ClarkSpace Reporter Stephen Clark is a space reporter at Ars Technica, covering private space companies and the worlds space agencies. Stephen writes about the nexus of technology, science, policy, and business on and off the planet. 36 Comments Prev story