SpaceX launched the largest and most powerful version of its Starship-Super Heavy rocket system this morning, marking another milestone in its efforts to develop a fully reusable spacecraft for missions to the Moon and Mars.
The latest test flight used the upgraded Version 3 configuration of Starship, featuring enhancements to both the Super Heavy booster and the upper-stage spacecraft. The rocket lifted off successfully from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Texas, United States.
The mission achieved a successful hot-staging separation, in which the upper-stage Raptor engines ignited before the booster fully detached. Flames were seen through the staging ring as Starship separated from the Super Heavy booster at hypersonic speed.
Following separation, the Super Heavy booster began its planned descent toward the Gulf of Mexico but exploded mid-air before reaching the water.
Despite the loss of the booster, the upper-stage Starship continued its flight in space, extending the mission beyond the staging phase.
Starship is central to SpaceX’s long-term plans, including NASA’s Artemis programme, which aims to use a modified Starship vehicle to land astronauts on the Moon later this decade. The rocket system is also expected to support future Mars missions and large-scale satellite deployment.
