SPACEX STARSHIP V3 SPLASHES DOWN IN INDIAN OCEAN IN SUCCESSFUL DEBUT FLIGHT AS SUPER HEAVY BOOSTER FAILS TO COMPLETE CONTROLLED LANDING

SpaceX's Starship Version 3 megarocket completed its debut test flight on Friday, with the Ship upper stage splashing down in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Western Australia approximately 65 minutes after liftoff from Starbase, Texas, according to Space.com. The mission — designated Flight 12 — marked the first Starship test flight of 2026, the first in seven months, and the first launch from SpaceX's new Pad 2 facility at its Starbase site.

The Ship upper stage — Ship 39 — completed a controlled splashdown despite losing one of its six Raptor engines during reentry, a resilience that SpaceX and observers called a notable success. Prior to splashdown, Ship 39 deployed 22 dummy Starlink satellites, including two modified versions equipped with cameras that transmitted images of the spacecraft's heat shield back to mission operators — a new technique designed to allow remote assessment of heat shield condition for future reusability, according to Space.com.

The Super Heavy booster — Booster 19 — did not achieve the controlled water landing SpaceX had planned for the Gulf of Mexico. The booster failed to ignite the expected number of engines during the boostback burn, the critical maneuver needed to steer the vehicle back toward its designated splashdown zone, and is believed to have been lost. SpaceX had deliberately chosen not to attempt a tower catch on this first V3 flight, opting instead for a lower-risk water splashdown, but the boostback failure meant even that contingency did not go as planned.

Despite the booster loss, the overall mission was described as largely successful. Flight 12 is the 12th test flight of the Starship system since 2023 and the first for the significantly redesigned V3 configuration, which stands as the world's largest and most powerful rocket. SpaceX is developing Starship to serve as NASA's Artemis lunar lander for a planned 2028 crewed moon landing, as a heavy-lift platform for its Starlink satellite constellation, and as the cornerstone of the company's long-term ambitions for crewed missions to Mars. Full analysis of flight data is expected in the coming days.