SpaceX Starship V3 Debuts with Mostly Successful First Flight

SpaceX launched the first test flight of its upgraded Starship V3 Friday, with mostly positive results. The 408-foot-tall rocket lifted off from Starbase, Texas at 5:30 pm local time.

Starship splashed down on target in the Indian Ocean about an hour later. The heat shield held up during reentry, and the vehicle's flaps performed as expected. The ship deployed payload mockups, including 20 next-generation Starlink satellite simulators and two inspection spacecraft.

However, two Raptor 3 engines failed during the flight-one on the Super Heavy booster and one on Starship itself. The booster was unable to complete its return maneuver and impacted in the Gulf of Mexico. A planned engine relight in space was skipped due to the engine failure.

Despite these issues, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, who witnessed the launch, praised it as a "hell of a V3 Starship launch." SpaceX officials say the data will inform future flights, with an orbital attempt potentially coming later this year.