SpaceX got rid of some heat shield material. What happens from here is a guessing game

 SpaceX wants to eventually recover the Starship spacecraft.

That means it can’t be completely covered in octagon-shaped tiles that are meant to protect the vehicle from the heat, pressure and friction of reentry.

That’s why the company took some protective shielding off the Starship vehicle — to see whether it can survive without it. Perhaps, they can add hardware that will be necessary to recover the vehicle on the next flight — if all goes well.

Still, the company is “not expecting to recover the vehicle,” SpaceX engineer Kate Tice said during the livestream.