STARBASE, TEXAS / Content Syndication Services / — SpaceX first launch attempt for its upgraded Starship V3 rocket was halted in the final minute of countdown on May 21 after a technical problem at the company’s Starbase site in South Texas, but the vehicle flew the following day on its 12th integrated test flight. The initial attempt was scrubbed after countdown holds around T minus 40 seconds, shifting attention from a canceled launch window to a completed follow up test.
The issue was tied to ground support equipment rather than the flight vehicle itself. SpaceX identified a problem involving a hydraulic pin on the launch tower arm, part of the system used to connect the rocket to pad infrastructure before liftoff. The company stood down after troubleshooting consumed the remaining launch window. The scrub underscored the role of tower, fueling and release systems in a test campaign built around increasingly complex Starship hardware.
Starship V3, flown with a Super Heavy booster and an upper stage spacecraft, represents a newer configuration of SpaceX’s fully reusable launch system. The May 22 mission marked the first flight of the V3 iteration and the first launch from the pad prepared for that version at Starbase. The rocket lifted off at about 5:30 p.m. Central time from the Gulf Coast facility near Brownsville, Texas, carrying no crew.
Launch follows scrubbed attempt
During ascent, the Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage separated as planned. The booster descended toward the Gulf of Mexico, while the upper stage continued on a suborbital trajectory. SpaceX did not plan to recover either major vehicle on this test. The booster did not complete its full planned return sequence, but the mission proceeded with Starship continuing downrange after separation.
The upper stage deployed a payload of Starlink simulators during flight and continued toward atmospheric reentry. Starship then passed through peak heating and carried out descent maneuvers before reaching the Indian Ocean. One of the upper stage engines was not available during part of the flight, and mission controllers did not conduct a planned in space engine restart. The spacecraft completed a controlled final descent before splashdown and breakup in the ocean.
Test adds flight data
The flight added data from the first V3 launch after the scrubbed attempt delayed liftoff by one day. SpaceX has used the Starship test series to evaluate ascent performance, stage separation, thermal protection, payload deployment systems, engine behavior, flap control and ocean landing procedures. The May 22 test included flight conditions for redesigned hardware on both the Super Heavy booster and Starship spacecraft.
The Federal Aviation Administration oversees commercial launch licensing for Starship flights from Texas, while NASA has selected a Starship variant for its Artemis lunar landing program. The May 21 scrub was a launch attempt halted by a technical issue, not the end of the mission campaign. By May 22, SpaceX had launched the vehicle, deployed test payloads and completed an Indian Ocean splashdown profile for the upgraded Starship V3 system.