SpaceX launched the first test flight of its upgraded Starship rocket and Super Heavy booster on May 23, 2026, at 5:30 PM CDT from the SpaceX Starbase launch facility in South Texas. The rocket, which is 408 feet tall and powered by 33 methane-fueled main engines, successfully cleared the launch tower and headed east over the Gulf of Mexico. Approximately one hour later, Starship splashed down in the Indian Ocean. This flight marked an improvement over the inaugural flights of previous versions, Starship V1 and V2, which both experienced failures during their launches.
✓ AI-Debiased Article
10
Wire-neutral
provisional
✓ No loaded language, vague sourcing, or framing detected.
SpaceX Launches First Test Flight of Upgraded Starship V3
On May 23, 2026, SpaceX successfully launched the first test flight of its upgraded Starship V3 rocket and Super Heavy booster from Texas. The rocket completed its flight by splashing down in the Indian Ocean, showing improved performance compared to earlier versions.
Companies
SpaceX
Annotating as
No note attached
on this article.
Original vs. Neutral
Original Headline
SpaceX's Starship V3—still a work in progress—mostly successful on first flight
Neutral Headline
SpaceX Launches First Test Flight of Upgraded Starship V3