Overview
- SpaceX plans the debut V3 flight from Starbase’s Pad 2, a newly built stand with faster fueling and shorter capture arms.
- The company will test an in-space Raptor re-ignition, try a mock deployment of 22 Starlink units, and check new orbital refueling hookups.
- For risk reduction, SpaceX will not recover either stage, with Super Heavy targeting a Gulf of Mexico splashdown and Starship aiming for the Indian Ocean.
- V3 introduces a taller stack and major changes, including three larger grid fins, redesigned propellant lines for all 33-engine ignition, and higher-thrust Raptor engines.
- NASA will watch closely because Starship’s progress factors into a re-bid of the lunar lander contract that could open the door for Blue Origin.