SpaceX’s upgraded Starship V3 completes debut test flight from Texas
SpaceX successfully completed the debut test flight of its upgraded Starship V3 on May 22, 2026. This milestone is significant as it comes ahead of SpaceX's anticipated initial public offering, which could be the largest in history. The test flight demonstrated the spacecraft's capabilities and aims to bolster investor confidence in the company's future.
- ▪The Starship V3 test flight was the 12th uncrewed flight conducted by SpaceX.
- ▪The flight successfully released a payload of 20 mock Starlink satellites and two modified satellites for data collection.
- ▪The test marked the first launch from a new pad designed for the more powerful Starship rocket.
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SpaceX’s upgraded Starship V3 completes debut test flight from TexasSign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inboxA SpaceX Super Heavy booster carrying the Starship spacecraft lifts off on its 12th test flight at Starbase, Texas on May 22, 2026. PHOTO: REUTERSPublished May 23, 2026, 08:50 AMUpdated May 23, 2026, 08:50 AMSTARBASE, Texas - SpaceX on May 22 completed the 12th uncrewed test flight of its next-generation Starship, a high-stakes trial run of a newly upgraded version of the spacecraft as Elon Musk’s rocket company nears a record-breaking public listing.The debut flight of Starship V3 - designed to enable more frequent Starlink satellite launches and to send future NASA missions to the moon - marked a key milestone for the vehicle following months of testing delays.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Straits Times — World.