00:09What if one rocket could turn supersonic travel into history and make Mars feel like a weekend
00:14trip? February 28, 2026. SpaceX is days away from rolling out the most powerful flying machine ever
00:22built. Starship version 3. This beast is taller, stronger, and finally ready for the holy grail
00:29of space aviation, orbital refueling. One successful flight and the entire future of high-speed global
00:35travel changes. One slip-up and NASA's Artemis timeline gets another year of delays. This is
00:41the moment everything could explode, in the best or worst way. Welcome to Aviation Reviews. Let's
00:46dive right in. Hey everyone, welcome to Aviation Reviews, the place where we break down the most
00:51insane flying machines on and off the planet. I'm Derek, and today we're going full throttle on the
00:56rocket that's about to redefine what aviation even means in 2026. SpaceX Starship version 3 and the
01:02coming orbital refueling revolution. If you love next-gen aviation, reusable hypersonic tech.
01:08In the race to the moon and Mars, you're in the right place. Smash that like button right now because
01:13this one is going to be wild. Starship version 3 isn't just another upgrade. This is the vehicle
01:19that Elon Musk says will one day carry over 100 tons to orbit in a single flight.
01:25That's almost three times what the current version 2 can do. Taller stack, more propellant,
01:30brand new Raptor. Three engines that are lighter, more powerful, and more reliable than anything we've
01:37seen before. Those cannot source. And most importantly, version 3 finally brings the hardware
01:42for real orbital refueling. Docking ports, upgraded quick disconnects, and the plumbing that will let one
01:48Starship tanker top off another in space. Why does that matter for aviation fans? Because once orbital
01:54refueling works, Starship stops being just a rocket and becomes the ultimate point-to-point Earth transport
02:00vehicle. New York to Shanghai in 35 minutes, anywhere on Earth in under an hour. Now that's not sci-fi
02:06anymore.
02:08That's the V3 roadmap. Right now at Starbase Texas, the team is in full beast mode for flight 12. The
02:15debut flight of version 3. Booster 19 just survived its cryoproof test and is sitting in mega bay, one
02:21getting grid fins installed and all 33 Raptor 3 engines mounted. We are waiting on that crucial six
02:26seconds static fire any day now. Ship 39, the first V3 upper stage, rolled out to the new Massey's test
02:33stand.
02:34SpaceX is hammering those plasma leak issues before flight 12. Pad 2 is getting the full treatment.
02:39We saw massive deluge tests, quick disconnect arm movements, and trench geyser water spouts.
02:45Kauchentú, everything is screaming we are going soon. Elon posted that Starship launch in six weeks.
02:50That points to mid-March. If everything goes perfectly, we could see static fire next week and launch in the
02:56second half of March 2026. This is the soonest we've ever been for a brand new Starship version.
03:02Flight 12 is the dress rehearsal. The real prize comes later in 2026, the first ship-to-ship propellant
03:08transfer demonstration. NASA's own Artemis program is counting on this. Without Starship tankers,
03:13there is no sustainable moon base and no crewed Mars missions in the 2030s.
03:17Nah, SpaceX is moving so fast that even NASA officials are privately saying Starship is now
03:22the only realistic path to Artemis 3 in 2028. Meanwhile, NASA just rolled Artemis 2 back to the
03:29vehicle assembly building again due to helium flow issues and hydrogen leaks.
03:33The earliest launch is now looking at April 2026. Two completely different roads to the moon.
03:38One government rocket that costs billions and flies once every few years.
03:43DERNT! One private rocket built by Sapodak aviation maniacs that wants to fly multiple times per day.
03:492026 is going to show the world which path actually works. This is exactly why I'm obsessed with
03:54Starship on aviation reviews. It's not just a rocket. It's the future of high-speed aviation,
04:00reusable hypersonic flight, and opening the solar system. So tell me in the comments right now,
04:06do you think we will see Starship version 3 fly before April 1st? And more importantly,
04:11would you take a Starship flight from Los Angeles to Sydney in just 40 minutes?
04:16If you're new here, hit subscribe and turn on the bell. We cover every major aviation breakthrough from
04:22the NASA, X-59, quiet supersonic jet to boom overture, and everything in between. Drop a like
04:29if you want me to break down the new Raptor 3 engine next. Thank you so much for watching aviation
04:33reviews. I'll see you in the next one, and hopefully we'll be watching Starship light up the Texas sky
04:38very, very soon. Stay safe up there. This is Derek signing off.
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