Starship

SpaceX's 13th Starship test flight deployed 20 operational Starlink V3 satellites and landed Ship intact in the Indian Ocean, though the Super Heavy booster again splashed down hard.

The FAA classified the May 22 Starship V3 test as a mishap on May 27, after Super Heavy Booster 19 failed its boostback burn and hard-splashed in the Gulf of America, grounding the program until SpaceX's investigation is approved.

A hydraulic pin failure on the launch tower arm forced SpaceX to scrub the first Starship V3 test flight at T-40 seconds, with a second attempt targeting 6:30 p.m. EDT on May 22.

Ship 39 and Booster 19 have each completed full-duration Raptor 3 engine tests at Starbase, with Flight 12 now targeting May 2026.

SpaceX reached 10,020 active Starlink satellites on March 17, constituting two-thirds of all active spacecraft, while NASA warns 500,000 satellites would contaminate nearly every telescope image.

SpaceX is preparing to launch Starship Flight 12 in mid-March 2026, the first test of upgraded Block 3 vehicles powered by 33 Raptor 3 engines and the debut of Orbital Launch Pad 2.