Overview
- SpaceX launched the Starship test vehicle from Starbase, Texas, and the Super Heavy booster B22 diverted from the recovery plan and splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico, ending the tower capture attempt.
- The Starship upper stage S42 completed its ascent burn and entered a planned suborbital trajectory while flight teams inspect onboard systems to decide if they will proceed to orbital insertion.
- The mission was designed for roughly 275 kilometers altitude and about 14 orbits over more than 22 hours, with a later deorbit, reentry and a second tower capture attempt if systems cleared.
- The flight also carried plans to deploy 26 third‑generation Starlink satellites, a payload element that depends on the final decision to place the upper stage into orbit.
- This test continues SpaceX’s high‑risk, iterative push for aircraft‑like reusability: boosters have been tower‑captured three times before, but an in‑flight aerial capture of the upper stage has not yet been achieved and will determine how quickly the company can move toward routine full recovery.