tech
SpaceX launches more powerful Super Heavy-Starship rocket on test flight
Updated on: May 22, 2026 / 8:51 PM EDT / CBS News
TL;DR
- SpaceX launched a revamped Super Heavy-Starship rocket for engine and system testing.
- Several engines on the Super Heavy booster failed during its return, preventing a planned splashdown.
- The Starship upper stage deployed 22 Starlink satellite simulators and successfully endured re-entry.
- This was the first flight of the "Version 3" Super Heavy-Starship and used a new launch pad.
- The rocket is intended for launching Starlink satellites, commercial payloads, and eventual missions to the moon and Mars.
- NASA is utilizing a version of the Starship upper stage as a lander for its Artemis moon missions.