Elon Musk's Starship V3 completed its mission and crashed into the ocean a month before its record IPO

The private space company SpaceX successfully conducted the first test flight of a deeply modernized version of its Starship V3, writes xrust. The launch, which took place on the evening of May 22 from the spaceport in Texas, became the 12th in the development program and, according to experts, brought Elon Musk’s company closer to the commercial launch of the most powerful rocket in history. A key feature of this launch is that it came just a month before SpaceX went public, making the success of the mission critical to investors.

A giant 120-meter structure (taller than a 40-story building) lifted off from the launch pad at Starbase near Brownsville, Texas at 5:30 p.m. local time (00:30 Moscow time). The live broadcast was carried out by dozens of channels, and what was happening in the control center was observed by employees, whose emotions from shouts of “hurray” turned into a moment of silence, and then again into jubilation.

How the flight went: loss of engine, but achievement of goals

The main goal of this flight is not just to take off, but to prove that Starship is ready for regular missions. And despite the technical glitches, the company said it had achieved “most of its key goals.”

The first minute passed normally: 33 Raptor engines of the lower stage (Super Heavy) produced a thrust of 7500 tons, lifting the projectile into the sky. However, already on the ascent at the top stage of Starship, one of the six engines failed. SpaceX later explained that because of this, engineers abandoned the risk of re-engaging the engines in space.

But the main thing is that the steps separated cleanly, as planned. Super Heavy fell into the Gulf of Mexico 6 minutes after launch, although the planned backburning of the engines to soften the fall failed. However, landing the booster itself was not part of the test plan, so it was not considered a failure.

Starship continued its flight, reaching the upper atmosphere. The device successfully deployed 20 “blanks” — models of future Starlink satellites, as well as two real modified satellites. During the descent, the latter scanned the ship's heat shield and transmitted telemetry to Earth.

The culmination was the entry into the atmosphere and splashdown. Approximately 65 minutes after launch, Starship V3 entered dense layers at high speed, became red-hot (the live broadcast showed how pieces of thermal protection fell off from the heat), but retained control. The device sank vertically, as planned, onto the water in the Indian Ocean, after which it fell on its side and exploded in a fireball. It was at this moment that applause rang out in the control center — the planned destruction after the hard landing was considered a success.

Elon Musk immediately responded on social network X: “Congratulations to the SpaceX team on the epic first launch and landing of Starship V3!”

Why this is important: not just a flight, but preparation for an IPO

class=»notranslate»>__GTAG7__ The next month will be fateful for SpaceX. The company is preparing for an initial public offering (IPO), which analysts are already calling the largest in history. SpaceX's valuation, according to Reuters, reaches $1.75 trillion, which would make it one of the most valuable public companies in the world. Musk himself evaluates his assets in the space segment through the prism of Starship.

The entire SpaceX business today is tied to this rocket:

• Starlink: current satellites are launched by Falcon 9, but to deploy a new constellation and orbital data centers, it is Starship with its payload capacity of 100+ tons that is needed in low orbit.
• NASA and the Moon: SpaceX has a $3 billion contract under the Artemis program (landing astronauts on the Moon later this decade). To do this, Starship will need to refuel in orbit — a procedure that has never been carried out in real space.
• Mars: A year ago, Musk promised the first unmanned flight to the Red Planet by the end of 2026. Today it is obvious that the deadlines will shift, but every successful test brings this moment closer.

“This is another significant step forward in SpaceX’s broader strategy to increase launch capacity to expand the company’s ambitions in space,” said Kathleen Curley, an analyst at Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technologies. “Despite some anomalies (engine failure), the test appears to have achieved several key goals and will provide SpaceX with a tremendous amount of engineering data.”

What is Starship V3 and how does it differ from previous versions

class=»notranslate»>__GTAG5__ The current flight was the first for the V3 modification — this is not just “another prototype”, but a deep upgrade of the entire system.

1. Raptor 3 engines: they are lighter and more torquey than the previous ones versions. Super Heavy still has the same 33 engines, but their total power has increased by 20%.
2. New thermal protection: Starship received a new generation of tiles, which, as the flight showed, still withstand atmospheric reentry better than in past “explosive” tests (for example, in March 2024 the ship burned up during reentry).
3. Systems for long missions: docking nodes for refueling in space and maneuvering engines have appeared that will allow the ship to land on Moon and Mars.

Result of the 12th test: out of almost one and a half dozen goals, only the restart of the engine in space and the full controlled descent of the Super Heavy booster were not completed. Everything else, including the deployment of the payload and the “soft” splashdown of Starship, was successful.

Russian context and view of the market

class=»notranslate»>__GTAG12__It is important for the Russian reader to understand: SpaceX is not just a “billionaire’s project”, but a key player in the new space race. The other day, the head of Roscosmos, in an interview (quoted by TASS), again stated that Russia is betting on the creation of a reusable Amur-LNG rocket, but the first flight tests are expected no earlier than 2030. Thus, the technological gap in the super-heavy rocket segment remains.

Meanwhile, China, which aims to land its taikonauts on the Moon by 2030, is also speeding up the creation of an analogue of Starship — the Long March-9 rocket. But to date, SpaceX is the only company in the world that has actually returned a 33-engine stage from orbit (albeit falling into the ocean) and deployed a payload.

What's next?

The next test of Starship V3, according to unofficial data, may take place in 2-3 months. The program involves frequent flights — this is Musk's key philosophy: “test before it breaks, fix it and fly again.” The IPO, which could take place as early as mid-June 2026, is likely to trigger a record influx of investment into the space industry.

The market has already reacted: shares of SpaceX contractors (for example, titanium and composites manufacturers) jumped by 4-7% in over-the-counter trading after reporting a successful splashdown.

Sources: Reuters, SpaceX data, comments from Georgetown University analysts.

Elon Musk's Xrust Starship V3 completed its mission and crashed into the ocean a month before the record IPO