SpaceX to Launch Upgraded Starship Version 3 on Thursday

M. ET. The new prototype, called Version 3, stands taller than the previous model and carries a new generation of Raptor engines. Each of the 33 engines on the Super Heavy booster will deliver more than 50,000 additional pounds of force at liftoff, according to SpaceX.

SpaceX recovered the Super Heavy booster for the first time in October 2024. Version 2 of Starship flew in January and March 2025 but exploded near populated areas east of Florida, with debris landing in Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas. A May 2025 test flight performed better until the spacecraft spun out of control over the Indian Ocean.

The Super Heavy booster also exploded during that mission. A ground test in June 2025 destroyed a spacecraft, and another ground test in November 2025 destroyed a Version 3 vehicle.

Thursday’s flight will not attempt to recover either the booster or the spacecraft. Both will fly on suborbital paths and attempt controlled ocean landings. SpaceX has stated that rapid testing allows engineers to identify problems and make design changes faster than traditional methods. The company has said explosive test outcomes are part of its development approach.

Starship is the vehicle NASA selected to land astronauts on the moon. The Trump administration has set a target of 2028 for that mission. China has announced plans to land astronauts on the moon by 2030. Blue Origin is developing a competing lunar lander. A former NASA acting administrator stated that the agency would use whichever vehicle is ready first.