SpaceX's Starship explodes in planned splashdown after test flight
SpaceX launched its 408-foot Starship V3 on a test flight that traveled from Texas and ended in a planned controlled splashdown over the Indian Ocean, after releasing 22 dummy Starlink satellites. The company described the roughly hour-long mission as a success despite a timed explosion on re-entry, and it said it has upgraded the rocket's Raptor engine, thermal protection and plumbing. The story follows earlier failures, including a January 2025 disintegration and other test losses, and SpaceX acknowledged that sonic boom limits and economic feasibility are key challenges for proposed Earth-to-Earth hypersonic services.
Starship V3 completed a planned splashdown after releasing 22 dummy satellites.
Context
Starship has had multiple test setbacks in recent flights. SpaceX made upgrades and then…
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