SpaceX Targets April Launch for Starship V3 as Block 3 Booster Passes Critical Tests at Starbase

About this episode

The episode discusses SpaceX's preparations for the Starship V3 launch and the ongoing developments surrounding its Block 3 booster tests, alongside controversies involving Amazon and the FCC.

SpaceX is charging ahead with Starship V3 preparations at Starbase, where Elon Musk announced on X that the first flight could happen in about four weeks, targeting early April. Tesla Space reports that Booster 19, the inaugural Block 3 booster, is acing initial pad tests on the new Pad 2, including rollout to the launch mount, engine installations, and a historic full static fire with 33 Raptor V3 engines. Ship 39 will soon follow for its own V3 Raptor tests, leading to a full stack, wet dress rehearsal, and potential Flight 12—packed with upgrades like a white heat shield to withstand 1500°C re-entry. NASASpaceflight footage from March 13 shows Booster 19 picking up testing seamlessly, with new infrastructure like the upgraded launch tower and tank farm systems gearing up. Meanwhile, SpaceX eyes a massive $1.75 trillion valuation in what's tipped as the biggest IPO ever, per Tesla Space. In hot drama, Amazon petitioned the FCC on March 6 to block SpaceX's bold plan for 1 million solar-powered orbital AI data centers, slamming it as speculative orbit-hoarding without real tech details—covering just 0.0003% of the constellation in filings. Not a Tesla App notes FCC Chairman…

People in this episode

Host: Elon Musk

Topics covered

• SpaceX
• Starship V3
• Booster tests
• IPO
• Amazon vs SpaceX
• Astronomy
• Satellite technology

Keywords

• SpaceX
• Starship V3
• Booster 19
• IPO
• Amazon
• FCC
• satellites
• astronomy
• Raptor engines
• launch tests

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: SpaceX, Tesla Space, NASASpaceflight, Amazon, FCC, Space.com, Kuiper

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