Elon Musk's SpaceX has launched the third version of its upgraded Starship rocket into space for the first time. The 407-foot-tall mega-rocket, which lifted off from the Starbase site in Texas at 5:30 PM local time, is the most powerful spacecraft in human history. In the initial phase of the flight, the upper stage successfully separated from the Super Heavy booster and headed toward space. This is reported by Techcrunch.com reports .
However, the test flight did not go entirely according to plan. The Super Heavy booster was supposed to return to Earth and perform a simulated landing in the Gulf of Mexico, but the engines failed to restart. As a result, the booster lost control, crashed into the water, and likely exploded. Despite losing one of its six Raptor engines during the ascent, the Starship vessel continued its trajectory toward the Indian Ocean.
This flight is of strategic importance for SpaceX, as it was the first real test of the Starship V3 hardware, which has been in development for several months. The company also tested a brand-new launch pad built over years at the Starbase site. This event marks a major turning point in SpaceX's history: the company's IPO documents were released this week, and it is expected to list on the Nasdaq exchange in mid-June.
It is estimated that the IPO will raise $75 billion. These funds will be directed toward developing space programs, AI ambitions, and covering debts related to Musk's xAI and the X social network. The Starship project plays a decisive role in SpaceX's mission to make life multi-planetary. In the near future, this ship will serve NASA missions, flights to Mars, and the deployment of the next generation of Starlink satellites.
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