SpaceX's Starship V3—still a work in progress—mostly successful on first flight
SpaceX successfully launched its upgraded Starship V3 rocket on its first test flight, achieving mostly positive results. The rocket, powered by 33 engines, completed its flight and splashed down in the Indian Ocean after a series of maneuvers. This test marked a significant improvement over previous versions, which had failed during their inaugural flights.
- ▪Starship V3 launched from SpaceX's Starbase in Texas at 5:30 pm CDT.
- ▪The rocket completed its flight and splashed down in the Indian Ocean over an hour later.
- ▪SpaceX officials expressed satisfaction with the performance of Starship V3, noting it fared better than earlier versions.
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Fireball SpaceX’s Starship V3—still a work in progress—mostly successful on first flight SpaceX has more to prove before flying Starship all the way to low-Earth orbit. Stephen Clark – May 23, 2026 1:54 pm | 16 A spacecraft deployed from Starship captured this view of the vehicle in darkness over the South Atlantic Ocean. Credit: SpaceX A spacecraft deployed from Starship captured this view of the vehicle in darkness over the South Atlantic Ocean. Credit: SpaceX Text settings Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only Learn more Minimize to nav SpaceX launched the first test flight of its upgraded Starship rocket and Super Heavy booster Friday, with mostly positive results.
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