NPR Topics: News | SpaceX launches its biggest, most beefed-up Starship yet on a test flight by The Associated Press
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SpaceX launched its biggest, most powerful version of Starship—a third‑generation “V3” model with larger thrust, upgraded grid fins and a more robust fuel line—on a test flight from Starbase, Texas, on May 22‑23, 2026. The rocket carried 20 mock Starlink satellites that were released midway through its hour‑long, half‑world‑circumnavigating trajectory before the spacecraft reached the Indian Ocean, where it descended under control but ultimately toppled and ignited on impact, a result SpaceX had anticipated. Although some engines experienced trouble and not all fired on the return, the launch demonstrated key upgrades and the ability to deploy payloads, drawing praise from Elon Musk, who called it “epic,” and NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, who said the flight moves Starship closer to supporting the Artemis moon program and future Mars missions.
Read more: https://www.npr.org/2026/05/23/nx-s1-5832402/spacex-biggest-starship-flight
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