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Saved February 14, 2026
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Elon Musk announced that SpaceX's Starship Version 3 is set for its first flight as early as March, featuring new Raptor V3 engines. This launch, known as Flight 12, follows a series of mixed test flights and aims for an aggressive development schedule despite previous setbacks.
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Elon Musk announced that SpaceX's Starship Version 3 could launch as early as March, with the next test flight, Flight 12, anticipated in about six weeks. This flight will introduce the new Raptor V3 engines, which are designed to produce nearly double the thrust of the original Raptor 1 while being lighter and cheaper to produce. SpaceX has been pushing for rapid development of its fully reusable launch system, following a series of mixed test flights for previous Starship versions. Interestingly, SpaceX had previously hinted at aiming for the V3's maiden flight to occur in early 2026, despite earlier setbacks during ground testing.
In separate news, Musk's xAI has accumulated $18 billion in debt, partially due to its merger with SpaceX and the acquisition of Twitter, now known as X. Reports suggest that financial restructuring efforts are underway to alleviate some of this debt burden before SpaceXโs anticipated public offering later this year. Morgan Stanley, along with other major banks, is expected to lead these financing efforts, which aim to reduce interest costs associated with the debt.
SpaceX also recently achieved a milestone with the Crew-12 mission, successfully launching astronauts to the International Space Station from Cape Canaveral. The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 5:15 a.m. Eastern and marked the first booster landing at the newly designated Landing Zone 40, enhancing efficiency by reducing transport time between launch and landing operations. Meanwhile, around 6,000 Starlink terminals have been smuggled into Iran to counter government-imposed internet restrictions during recent protests, marking a significant move by the U.S. to provide satellite internet access amid state-controlled shutdowns.
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