SpaceX to launch an even bigger Starship prototype
NBC News • • business
Key Points:
- SpaceX is launching the third-generation Starship prototype (V3) on a key test flight from Texas, marking the 12th Starship flight and the first of this larger, more powerful, and more reusable version.
- The test flight will attempt to deploy 22 mock Starlink satellites and relight one of the upper stage’s engines in space, demonstrating capabilities crucial for future missions including lunar landings.
- NASA plans to use Starship for its Artemis program to land astronauts on the moon by 2028, with a planned orbital test of Starship and Orion on the Artemis III mission next year.
- SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced plans for a major IPO that could make him a trillionaire while retaining majority voting control and leadership roles in the company.
- The V3 Starship features significant upgrades such as increased thrust, larger propellant tanks, and design changes aimed at enabling full reuse, in-space refueling, and missions to the Moon and Mars.