A drone photo taken by RGV Aerial Photography on May 22, 2026, following the 12th Starship flight (IFT-12), has stunned many: the Pad 2 (Pad B) launch site at Starbase is in near-perfect condition. There are no signs of powerful engine operation or destruction — only slight paint peeling is visible. This is reported by Ixbt.com reports .
SpaceX launched the updated version of Starship V3 (Block 3) equipped with Booster 19 from this pad for the first time. The immense power of 33 Raptor 3 engines was tamed using a radically improved water-cooling system and a new flame deflector. Water turned into steam, absorbing the shockwave and heat, while special concrete structures with trenches directed the exhaust gases away.
The result is better than expected — minimal damage. Social media users are joking: "Are you sure it launched? It looks like it did before the start!" or "Is this really a post-flight photo? Hard to believe!"
Earlier, it was reported that one of the buildings at the Starbase spaceport in Texas suffered serious damage after the successful 12th Starship flight. SpaceX also updated information about the Mars program on its website and unexpectedly brought forward the dates for the first cargo flights of Starship to Mars.
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