SpaceX has reached another milestone in its Starship journey by successfully launching the final Version 2 Starship-Super Heavy rocket from its Starbase facility in Texas. The suborbital mission, conducted on Monday, showcased near-perfect performance and concluded an important chapter before the company transitions to the next generation — Version 3 of Starship-Super Heavy.
The 400-foot-tall rocket lifted off from Pad A at Starbase at 6:23 p.m. CDT (7:23 p.m. EDT / 2323 UTC), embarking on a one-hour-long flight. The mission featured a smooth ascent, with only one minor issue—one of the 13 Raptor engines on booster B15 failed to reignite during the boostback burn. However, it successfully fired up again during the landing sequence, allowing SpaceX to test a new engine configuration from 13 to five to three before splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.
This was the second and final flight for booster B15, which previously supported Starship Flight 8 in March. During this mission, the Starship upper stage (S38) also carried out a series of critical tests, including deploying eight large metal rectangles to simulate the weight of future Version 3 satellites and performing a de-orbit burn test.
The spacecraft endured peak heating and atmospheric pressure phases, helping SpaceX gather valuable data about its heat shield performance—a key factor for future reentry missions.
With this flight, SpaceX concludes Starship launches from Pad A in its current configuration. The company now shifts its focus to Pad B, where Version 3 of Starship-Super Heavy will begin testing. This upgraded model is designed for full orbital missions and will play a crucial role in SpaceX’s long-term goals of reaching the Moon and Mars.
NASA is closely watching these developments, as SpaceX holds major contracts under the Artemis program for lunar landings. The next big milestone will be demonstrating on-orbit propellant transfer—a vital step toward enabling refueling between Starships in space. This system will be essential for future missions, including the Artemis 3 and Artemis 4 lunar landings, planned for mid- to late 2027.
As SpaceX prepares to move beyond low Earth orbit, the completion of Version 2 testing marks a pivotal transition toward building the spacecraft that could one day carry humans to the Moon—and eventually, Mars
