SpaceX unveils Starship V4: More powerful variant of its flagship rocket

SpaceX has announced plans to develop a significantly more powerful version of its flagship launch vehicle, the Starship, with a new model designated Starship V4 slated for its first flight in 2027.

The development was confirmed by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk in a post on the social media platform X, where he revealed that the upgraded rocket will feature a longer design and expanded engine capacity, Caliber.Az reports.

“Starship V4 will have 42 engines when 3 more Raptors are added to a significantly longer ship. That will fly in 2027.

Starship V3 is a massive upgrade from the current V2 and should be through production and testing by end of year, with heavy flight activity next year,” Musk stated.

The next-generation Starship V4 will build upon the existing super-heavy launch architecture, already recognized as the largest and most powerful rocket system ever built. The addition of three Raptor engines—bringing the total to 42—suggests a major leap in thrust capacity and mission capability.

The announcement comes just one day after a milestone success for the current version of Starship. On August 26, SpaceX successfully launched the vehicle from its Texas base. During the test, the spacecraft cleanly separated from the Super Heavy booster, deployed simulated Starlink satellites into orbit, and concluded its mission with a controlled splashdown in the ocean—marking the most complete and successful flight in the Starship program to date.

The company has spent years developing the fully reusable Starship system with the goal of enabling missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. SpaceX’s progress is also closely watched by NASA, which has selected a modified version of Starship to carry astronauts to the lunar surface under the Artemis program, with a tentative target date of 2027.

By Vafa Guliyeva