SpaceX's Starship V3—still a work in progress—mostly successful on first flight
Summary
SpaceX launched the first test flight of its newest Starship rocket, called Starship V3, from Texas. The rocket flew successfully for over an hour, landing in the Indian Ocean with key parts like the heat shield working well. Although the rocket tipped over and exploded after landing, the flight showed important improvements over previous Starship tests.Key Facts
- Starship V3 launched from SpaceX’s Starbase in South Texas at 5:30 pm local time on Friday.
- The rocket is 408 feet (124 meters) tall and uses 33 methane-fueled engines.
- Starship V3 completed its flight by splashing down on target in the Indian Ocean after about one hour.
- This test flight was more successful than the first flights of Starship V1 and V2, which broke apart during launch.
- The heat shield and aerodynamic flaps worked well during reentry, protecting the rocket from heat.
- The rocket performed maneuvers to simulate future landing approaches and deployed 20 mock satellites successfully.
- After splashdown, the rocket tipped over and exploded, which was expected.
- SpaceX used the seven months between flights to build a second launch pad and improve the rocket’s systems.
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