SpaceX wraps action-packed Starship V2 era as program moves to V3 | TechCrunch

"Farewell, V2: SpaceX on Monday night sent Starship's current configuration on one last test flight, in a mission that the company says hit all its key goals, moving the program into its next phase. The nearly 400-foot-tall rocket lifted off from Starbase, Texas at 6:23 PM local time. The Super Heavy booster, reused from a March test, tried a new landing-burn profile, reigniting 13 engines before throttling down to five, and finally three for the final hover before completing a planned soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico roughly seven minutes after liftoff."

"Meanwhile, Starship's upper stage deployed eight mock Starlink satellite simulators, trialing a new "dynamic banking maneuver" profile that the company aims to use for future return-to-pad attempts at Starbase. The upper stage then splashed down in the Indian Ocean. This marked the final launch of the second-gen Starship and the first-gen Super Heavy variants. As with the previous test flight, engineers also experimented with the heat shield tiles on the upper stage, including selective removals and novel tile variations to gather reentry data."

"SpaceX also duplicated Flight 10's other key milestones: deploying simulators, and relighting one of Starship's six Raptor engines on orbit. Monday's test formally started the program's next phase: flying an upgraded prototype called V3, outfitted for in-orbit docking and propellant-transfer demonstrations, capabilities essential for crafts that aim to reach the Moon and Mars. SpaceX says V3 also incorporates structural changes and upgrades to the Raptor engine that are aimed at increasing lifting capacity, though the company did not share specific figures."

SpaceX launched the final flight of the second-generation Starship and the first-generation Super Heavy booster from Starbase, Texas, achieving key mission objectives. The nearly 400-foot vehicle lifted off, and the reused booster tested a new multi-engine landing-burn profile before performing a planned soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. The upper stage deployed eight mock Starlink satellites, trialed a "dynamic banking maneuver," and splashed down in the Indian Ocean. Engineers tested heat-shield tile variations and relit a Raptor engine on orbit. The flight initiates a transition to an upgraded V3 prototype focused on docking, propellant transfer, and increased lift.

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