Techcrunch
SpaceX is targeting mid-March for the first test flight of its upgraded Starship rocket, V3, which is larger, more powerful, and designed for orbital docking. This test is crucial for launching next-generation Starlink satellites and supporting NASA's lunar missions.
AI 生成摘要
SpaceX 目標在三月中旬進行其升級版星艦火箭 V3 的首次測試飛行。這款火箭更大、更強大，並設計用於軌道對接，對發射下一代星鏈衛星及支持 NASA 的月球任務至關重要。
Latest
AI
Amazon
Apps
Biotech & Health
Climate
Cloud Computing
Commerce
Crypto
Enterprise
EVs
Fintech
Fundraising
Gadgets
Gaming
Government & Policy
Hardware
Layoffs
Media & Entertainment
Meta
Microsoft
Privacy
Robotics
Security
Social
Space
Startups
TikTok
Transportation
Venture
Staff
Events
Startup Battlefield
StrictlyVC
Newsletters
Podcasts
Videos
Partner Content
TechCrunch Brand Studio
Crunchboard
Contact Us
The delayed first test of SpaceX’s upgraded Starship rocket is now slated for mid-March, according to a post from CEO Elon Musk on his social media site X.
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.
This all comes as SpaceX is racing toward an IPO later this year, and under pressure from the Trump administration to return U.S. astronauts to the surface of the moon before the end of his second term. Starship, the most powerful rocket ever developed, is currently a key part of NASA’s mission to fulfill that goal.
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.
The company has been hoping to move on from the second version of Starship, which was a mixed bag. It was able to successfully reach orbit with Starship V2, deploy dummy versions of the next-generation Starlink satellites, and catch multiple booster stages after they returned to the launchpad.
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.
SpaceX has come to dominate the global launch market over the last decade, and it is relying on Starship to maintain that dominance. But competition is creeping in at the edges. Jeff Bezos’ space company Blue Origin launched its first mega-rocket, known as New Glenn, for the first time in January 2025 and again in November. The company launched its inaugural commercial payload for NASA on that second flight and also completed the first landing of its booster stage.
Blue Origin is planning a third launch of New Glenn in late February and hopes to send its own lunar lander to the moon sometime after that. While New Glenn is smaller than Starship, Blue Origin revealed late last year that it is developing a larger version of the vehicle that more directly competes with SpaceX’s super-heavy rocket.
Topics
Sr. Reporter, Transportation
Sean O’Kane is a reporter who has spent a decade covering the rapidly-evolving business and technology of the transportation industry, including Tesla and the many startups chasing Elon Musk. Most recently, he was a reporter at Bloomberg News where he helped break stories about some of the most notorious EV SPAC flops. He previously worked at The Verge, where he also covered consumer technology, hosted many short- and long-form videos, performed product and editorial photography, and once nearly passed out in a Red Bull Air Race plane.
You can contact or verify outreach from Sean by emailing [email protected] or via encrypted message at okane.01 on Signal.
Tickets are live at the lowest rates of the year. Save up to $680 on your pass — and if you’re among the first 500 registrants, score a +1 pass at 50% off.Meet investors. Discover your next portfolio company. Hear from 250+ tech leaders, dive into 200+ sessions, and explore 300+ startups building what’s next. Don’t miss these one-time savings.
TikTok users freak out over app’s ‘immigration status’ collection — here’s what it means
Researchers say Russian government hackers were behind attempted Poland power outage
Microsoft gave FBI a set of BitLocker encryption keys to unlock suspects’ laptops: Reports
Capital One acquires Brex for a steep discount to its peak valuation, but early believers are laughing all the way to the bank
Anthropic’s CEO stuns Davos with Nvidia criticism
Humans&, a ‘human-centric’ AI startup founded by Anthropic, xAI, Google alums, raised $480M seed round
SpaceX didn’t properly inspect crane before collapse at Starbase, OSHA says
© 2025 TechCrunch Media LLC.