Overview
- On Oct. 13, the hourlong flight from South Texas ended with the booster splashing down off the Texas coast and the upper stage in the Indian Ocean after deploying eight Starlink‑like mock satellites.
- SpaceX said every major objective was achieved, with new heat‑shield tiles showing no damage in reentry, a result Reuters reported could enable reuse.
- The flight closes out the Version 2 campaign as SpaceX shifts to a larger, redesigned Version 3 with bigger propellant tanks and an upgraded payload bay, with first tests targeted later this year or early 2026, according to multiple reports.
- Orbital flights and in‑space propellant transfer remain unproven, with estimates ranging from roughly a dozen to 20 rapid refueling launches and other reporting citing anywhere from “ten‑ish” to about 40 tankers for a lunar mission.
- NASA’s reliance on Starship for Artemis III, planned for 2027, comes as China targets a crewed lunar landing by 2030, and SpaceX officials have said hundreds of test missions are needed before flying astronauts.