SpaceX has unveiled a redesigned set of grid fins for the Super Heavy first-stage booster that will power the next iteration of its Starship launch system. Photographs released on 13 August show the fins with roughly 50 percent greater surface area than the previous version and a streamlined configuration that cuts the number of fins per booster from four to three. According to the company, the higher-strength fins will let the 71-metre booster withstand steeper descent angles and simplify the tower “catch” manoeuvre. Moving the fins further down the vehicle is expected to reduce heat exposure from the upper-stage engines during separation. The hardware forms part of “Starship Version 3” and is slated to debut on the programme’s 10th integrated flight test, which SpaceX says could launch from its Starbase site in Boca Chica, Texas, within the next two weeks. NASA, which plans to use a modified Starship to place astronauts on the Moon under its Artemis III mission as early as 2027, is monitoring the flight campaign closely. Separately, SpaceX on 14 August confirmed the successful deployment of two batches of Starlink satellites—24 in one mission and 28 in another—highlighting the company’s sustained high-frequency launch cadence.