New Delhi, July 25, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
SpaceX on Friday successfully conducted a test flight of its Starship launch system, marking another milestone in the development of technology central to Elon Musk’s plans for future space missions and the expansion of the Starlink satellite network.
The Super Heavy booster lifted off from the company’s Starbase facility in South Texas at 5:51 p.m. local time, igniting all 33 Raptor engines before separating from the Starship spacecraft nearly two minutes into the mission.
The flight marked the second test of the Starship and Super Heavy V3 configuration and the first Starship mission to deploy next-generation Starlink V3 satellites.
Following stage separation, the Super Heavy booster attempted a controlled splashdown in the Gulf. SpaceX said the landing was not fully successful, as only some of the engines reignited during the landing burn, resulting in what it described as a “hard splashdown.”
The Starship upper stage, however, completed a “soft splashdown” in the Indian Ocean and remained intact, allowing engineers to obtain critical data on the vehicle’s heat shield for the first time after re-entry.
During the mission, Starship also successfully reignited a single Raptor engine in space, demonstrating a key capability required for future orbital and deep-space missions.
The latest test comes after an aborted launch attempt last week caused by an engine failure at liftoff. SpaceX continues to refine the Starship system, which is expected to play a key role in future lunar missions and the expansion of its Starlink communications network.
Meanwhile, SpaceX shares fell 2.68 per cent on Friday to close at $115.07.
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