Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Holly Patrick

SpaceX’s Starship V3 explodes in fireball during debut flight

SpaceX's Starship V3 made a fiery landing, exploding in a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean after its uncrewed debut flight.

The towering vehicle blasted off on Friday evening (22 May) from SpaceX facilities on the Gulf of Mexico near Brownsville.

Starship V3 is designed to enable more frequent Starlink satellite launches and to send future NASA missions to the moon.

The test flight represents a key milestone for the vehicle following months of delays. It aimed to reinforce SpaceX’s case that Starship, the world’s largest and most powerful rocket ever flown, is almost at commercial readiness after years of explosive setbacks and development delays.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.