SpaceX's Starship V3 completes 65-minute Texas test, heat shield scanned
SpaceX just pulled off a big win with its upgraded Starship V3 rocket, which completed a 65-minute test flight from Texas on May 22, 2026.
The mission checked off some major goals, like separating the upper-stage Starship from its Super Heavy booster and deploying 20 mock Starlink satellites.
Two actual modified satellites also scanned the spacecraft's heat shield and transmitted data back to operators on the ground during re-entry.
SpaceX Starship splashdown in Indian Ocean
Even after losing an engine early on and skipping a planned in-space engine restart, Starship managed a rough splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
This marks a huge milestone for SpaceX, especially as it gears up for an IPO with a targeted $1.75 trillion valuation next month and prepares for SpaceX's first lunar-landing mission planned for 2028 under NASA's Artemis program.
Elon Musk called the flight "SpaceX team on an epic first Starship V3 launch & landing!," and Kathleen Curlee says it's key for future space missions and tech upgrades.