🚀 SpaceX launches Starship Version 3

On May 22, SpaceX flew the 12th test of its Starship Version 3 from Starbase, Texas. This was the first launch of the fully redesigned third version and the first Starship flight since October.

At liftoff, one of 33 Raptor engines on the Super Heavy booster shut down, causing the booster to fail its return and crash into the Gulf of Mexico. The upper stage, Ship 39, lost one of six engines but still reached space.

Ship 39 deployed 22 satellites, including 20 Starlink mockups and two real satellites with cameras. It reentered, survived plasma passage, performed structural maneuvers, and made a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean.

📊@tech