#launch systems

SpaceX is approaching a milestone few space companies or governments could have imagined two decades ago: nearly matching the rest of the world combined in total orbital payload launches since Sputnik.

The first flight of SpaceX’s redesigned Starship V3 achieved stage separation, payload deployment and re-entry milestones even as booster and engine issues kept the mission from a fully nominal profile.

SpaceX’s first Starship Version 3 launch reached space and deployed 22 Starlink simulators, but early engine shutdowns on both stages underscored how much work remains before the upgraded vehicle is routine.

SpaceX is targeting May 19 for Flight 12, the first mission to use its redesigned Starship Version 3 architecture, Raptor 3 engines and the company’s new Pad 2 launch-and-catch infrastructure.