WASHINGTON, 23rd May, 2026 (WAM) — The Starship spacecraft has returned to Earth after a test flight, according to a broadcast by SpaceX.
“Splashdown confirmed!” the company said on X.
The spacecraft exploded after splashdown.
Starship also lost one of its six Raptor engines as it ascended into space, it was announced during the broadcast.
During the flight, 22 satellites were launched into space.
This mission marked the 12th full-scale test of the Starship system in the company’s history, but the first for the significantly redesigned version (V3). Furthermore, the rocket launched for the first time from the launch site’s second, completely new, pad in Texas.