# The debut flight of SpaceX’s Version 3 Starship lifted off just after 6:30 p.m. The mission experienced complications shortly after liftoff when the upper stage, designated Ship 39, separated from its Super Heavy booster with one engine failing to activate.

*aerospace · news · 2026-05-23 · Breitbart News Network*

## Key points

- SpaceX's Starship Version 3 reached the Indian Ocean despite severe engine failures during the flight.
- The Super Heavy booster's 33 Raptor engines all shut down prematurely, forcing a crash into the Gulf.
- Ship 39 successfully deployed 20 Starlink satellite simulators and two heat shield video satellites in orbit.
- SpaceX deliberately removed a heat shield tile mid-flight to study stress effects on neighboring tiles.
- The spacecraft retained extra propellant due to engine failure, increasing the size of the planned explosion.

**Companies:** SpaceX
**Countries:** United States, Australia

[Read the full story on Breitbart News Network](https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2026/05/23/watch-spacex-test-flight-ends-in-massive-fireball/)

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