SpaceX's Starship V3—still a work in progress—mostly successful on first flight

SpaceX’s upgraded Starship V3 and Super Heavy completed its first test flight from Starbase in Texas.

The mission was mostly successful, with the heat shield, flaps, descent, landing burn, and payload deployment system performing well.

The vehicle reached the Indian Ocean splashdown zone, but exploded on water impact.

The flight is a key milestone for Starship’s role in Starlink launches, future orbital missions, and NASA lunar plans.