Overview

• The Super Heavy booster separated cleanly and splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico roughly ten minutes after liftoff from Starbase, Texas.
• The upper stage released eight dummy Starlink satellites, executed engine shutdown and restart tests, then reentered and water‑landed in the Indian Ocean after about an hour aloft.
• SpaceX reported an initial 12‑of‑13 Raptor ignition after staging that was resolved before the final braking burn, which used all 13 engines.
• The company said this flight was the final outing for the V2 prototype and confirmed a shift to V3 vehicles, with Elon Musk describing V3 as a major upgrade and pointing to a V4 effort targeted for 2027.
• NASA plans to use Starship for Artemis lunar landings targeted for mid‑2027, with advisers cautioning that schedule risk persists even as SpaceX logs recent test successes.