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Starship V3 Launch Ends in Hard Splashdown, Shares Dip

7/25/2026

28 3 Full Breakdown

Summary

SpaceX Launches Starship

SpaceX launched Starship Version 3 from Starbase, Texas at 6:51 p.m. EDT on July 24, 2026.
The booster separated two minutes later, but only five of its 13 engines fired, causing a hard Gulf splashdown.
After a three-engine re-entry burn, Starship re-entered, landed in the Indian Ocean and released 20 Starlink V3 satellites—six with cameras to image the heat shield—that burned up after about 20 minutes.

Summary

Starship Delayed

The launch was postponed twice, first on July 16 after an engine-ignition failure and later due to thick clouds from Tropical Storm Bertha.
NASA monitored the flight as a critical step and says Starship must finish testing and reach orbit soon so the Artemis III crew can rehearse docking in 2027.
Administrator Jared Isaacman posted on X that he was excited for what will be learned from the mission.

Summary

SpaceX Shares Fall

SpaceX’s shares fell below the IPO price, heightening investor anxiety ahead of the Starship flight.
After the July 16 abort, the company removed and replaced two Raptor engines, a detail not previously disclosed.
On July 22, SpaceX skipped a static-fire test of the Super Heavy booster and performed only a leak check.
Analysts warn that repeated scrubs and last-second shutdowns could increase Raptor wear and costs.

History

Historical Context

On Jan 28 1986 NASA’s Challenger broke apart 73 seconds after liftoff, killing seven crew and prompting the Rogers Commission to redesign solid-rocket boosters and create a dedicated safety office. Those reforms set a precedent for stringent oversight, which now guides NASA’s monitoring of SpaceX’s July 2026 Starship test after multiple Raptor engine failures.

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SpaceX Launches Starship

SpaceX launched Starship Version 3 from Starbase, Texas at 6:51 p.m. EDT on July 24, 2026.
The booster separated two minutes later, but only five of its 13 engines fired, causing a hard Gulf splashdown.
After a three-engine re-entry burn, Starship re-entered, landed in the Indian Ocean and released 20 Starlink V3 satellites—six with cameras to image the heat shield—that burned up after about 20 minutes.

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