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SpaceX launched its upgraded Starship V3 from Starbase, Texas, on Friday in an uncrewed test flight watched by space agencies, commercial customers and investors. The 12th Starship test marked the first flight of the V3 vehicle and the first launch from a new pad built for the powerful system.
The 408-foot rocket lifted off at about 5:30 p.m. CT from SpaceX’s coastal launch site near Brownsville. The vehicle paired the Starship upper stage with a Super Heavy booster, both carrying major design changes for longer missions, heavier payloads and future reuse.
The test came after months of delays and a scrubbed launch attempt on Thursday. SpaceX used the flight to gather data on the new rocket, its engines, its heat shield and its satellite deployment system. The company did not plan to recover either stage during this mission.
The Super Heavy booster separated from Starship about two minutes after launch. It then attempted a boostback burn before falling toward a planned ocean zone in the Gulf of Mexico. SpaceX said the booster ended its mission early but came down inside the clear area selected before launch.
Starship continued toward space after the upper stage lost one of its six engines during ascent. SpaceX commentator Dan Huot gave a cautious update during the webcast, saying, “I wouldn’t call it nominal orbital insertion, but we’re in on a trajectory that we had analyzed, and it’s within bounds.” The quote reflected SpaceX’s careful tone as teams worked through the engine fault.
During its cruise phase, Starship released 20 mock Starlink satellites through its payload door. It also released two real test satellites fitted with cameras. Those units were designed to inspect the spacecraft’s heat shield and send data back to ground teams before descent.
The heat shield remains a major part of Starship development as SpaceX wants the spacecraft to fly often with limited repair work after landing. However, controllers skipped a planned in-space engine relight test after the engine loss during ascent. The company kept the pre-landing burn plan in place for the final phase.
The launch drew added attention since SpaceX is moving closer to a planned public listing, according to the report. The company’s Starship program supports its Starlink expansion, satellite launches and NASA moon work. Investors are also watching whether the vehicle can move toward regular commercial missions.
Musk called the flight an “epic first Starship V3 launch & landing” in a post on X. Still, the test also carried clear limits. One booster engine shut down during liftoff, the booster missed its full return burn, and the upper stage lost one engine before reaching its planned path.
Starship plays a central role in NASA’s Artemis moon program. SpaceX won a contract in 2021 to develop the lunar landing system for the agency. The company must still prove in-space refueling, reliable engine restarts and repeatable heat shield performance before crewed lunar missions can use the vehicle.
The V3 test gave SpaceX new flight data on its upgraded hardware.It also highlighted the work still needed before Starship can support regular Starlink launches, NASA missions, and longer trips beyond Earth orbit.
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