SpaceX Launches Starship Test Flight, Prepares for $75B IPO

AI Summary

SpaceX's Starship V3 successfully launched on Friday, following a prior scrubbed attempt due to technical issues. The flight initiated at 6:30 p.m. ET from Starbase, Texas, as part of preparations for an upcoming IPO expected to raise about $75 billion, with a valuation of $1.25 billion from February’s merger with xAI. During the test flight, dummy satellites were deployed into orbit, although the company missed some propulsion targets. This event marks the 12th test flight for Starship, which is designed to deliver 100 metric tons to orbit in a reusable configuration, critical for enhancing SpaceX's Starlink service.