SpaceX Launches First V3 Starlink Satellites but Faces Another Booster Failure

SpaceX successfully deployed the first third-generation Starlink satellites on Friday using an upgraded version of its Starship prototype during the 13th test flight of its mega-rocket. However, the company experienced another failure with its Super Heavy booster during a planned simulated landing in the Gulf of Mexico. This marks the second time SpaceX has encountered an issue with the Super Heavy booster on the V3 version of Starship. In May, during the first Starship V3 flight, the booster failed after separating from the upper stage of the rocket. The launch came just over a week after SpaceX attempted the 13th Starship launch. That attempt was abruptly aborted after ignition due to multiple rocket engine failures. SpaceX replaced six engines ahead of Friday’s flight to address the problem. During Friday’s launch, the booster progressed further into its planned flight but failed to properly ignite all engines required for its simulated landing burn. The booster disintegrated after hitting the water faster than expected. This was the first Starship launch since SpaceX went public in June in what was the largest IPO in history. True to SpaceX’s “fly, fail, fix” development philosophy, the company saw its stock decline in the days following the previous launch abort. The dip is part of a broader downward trend since the IPO, with shares falling from a peak of over $200 to $115 at Friday’s close. In after-hours trading, SpaceX shares dropped another 2% following the booster failure before recovering some losses. SpaceX appeared to have better luck with the Starship V3 upper stage during Friday’s launch. During the first V3 launch in May, the upper stage lost a rocket engine, but no such issues occurred this time as Starship successfully deployed the new Starlink satellites. The new Starlink satellites are expected to burn up in the atmosphere roughly 20 minutes after deployment, as Starship is still not capable of reaching Earth orbit. This story is developing…

via TechCrunch