SpaceX's next-gen Starship rocket might need a bit more work before it can actually launch. On Thursday, the company brought Booster 18, the first Super Heavy booster made under the new Version 3 design, to its test site at Starbase in South Texas for some initial checks.
Starship V3 aims to improve on what they did with V2, which finally pulled off two successful test flights earlier this year after a lot of troubleshooting. But just hours into the testing, things didn't look great.
SpaceX mentioned that the first operations would mainly focus on checking the booster's revamped fuel systems and its overall structural integrity.
However, by Friday morning, fans tracking the Starship reported seeing photos of the lower part of the stainless-steel booster that looked crumpled inward, much like a squashed soda can.
This damage seemed to impact a large part of the booster's liquid oxygen tank, but the exact reason behind it is still a bit of a mystery. SpaceX hasn't shared many details yet, saying it's too soon to determine what went wrong during the overnight tests.
Even with this hiccup, such issues are pretty standard in the early stages of development, and SpaceX has a solid track record of learning from tough tests.
Still, it's clear that Starship V3 has a bit more to go before it's ready to reach for the stars.
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