SpaceX Starship V3 Test Flight Partially Succeeds, Deploys 20 Satellites; Booster Engine Relight Fails on July 24

According to SpaceX, on July 24 (local time), the company's Starship V3 rocket completed its 13th test flight largely successfully, deploying 20 test Starlink V3 satellites at approximately 200 kilometers altitude. The upper stage returned and performed a vertical water landing in the Indian Ocean, which SpaceX officials called the most stable and smooth splashdown to date. CEO Elon Musk stated the company obtained necessary heat shield data and the Starship remained intact.

However, the first-stage SuperHeavy booster encountered issues during its recovery sequence in the Gulf of Mexico. CNN reported that while all 33 engines ignited as planned at launch, only 13 of the booster's relight engines fired during descent preparation, with some failing during the landing attempt. The booster sank into the Gulf at a faster rate than planned, marking a partial failure for the first stage.