"This third version of Starship, or V3, is larger and more powerful. Crucially, the company plans to use Starship V3 to launch its next-generation Starlink satellites, which will be capable of faster data speeds but weigh more and are larger. It's also the first version of the rocket that is meant to dock with other Starships in Earth orbit, a capability the company needs in order to reach the moon or Mars."
"SpaceX was making progress toward a launch of Starship V3 in late 2025. But in November, the booster stage suffered an explosion during testing that blew out an entire side of the steel rocket. The company said it was performing "gas system pressure testing" when the explosion happened, but has yet to offer a more detailed breakdown of what went wrong."
"But Starship V2 also suffered a number of explosions and setbacks of its own. Some of those came as a result of SpaceX's developmental approach, which involves pushing the test vehicles to - or past - their limit and then iterating based on what the company learns. Others were more unexpected, like when one of the Starship vehicles that sits atop the booster stage erupted in a massive fireball during ground testing last June."
Starship V3's first test is scheduled for mid-March. V3 is larger and more powerful and will carry next-generation Starlink satellites that are heavier and larger while offering faster data speeds. V3 is the first version designed to dock with other Starships in Earth orbit, a capability required for lunar and Mars missions. SpaceX aims for an IPO this year and faces political pressure to return U.S. astronauts to the moon. In November, a booster explosion during gas system pressure testing blew out one side of the steel rocket. V2 achieved orbit and satellite deployment but experienced multiple explosions and setbacks from aggressive testing.
Read at TechCrunch
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