In the closing moments of Monday’s flight, Starship flexed its flaps to perform a “dynamic banking maneuver” over the Indian Ocean, then flipped upright and fired its engines to slow for splashdown, simulating maneuvers the rocket will execute on future missions returning to the launch site. That will be one of the chief goals for the next phase of Starship’s test campaign beginning next year.

Patience for V3

It will likely be at least a few months before SpaceX is ready to launch the next Starship flight. Technicians at Starbase are assembling the next Super Heavy booster and the first Starship V3 vehicle. Once integrated, the booster and ship are expected to undergo cryogenic testing and static-fire testing before SpaceX moves forward with launch.

“Focus now turns to the next generation of Starship and Super Heavy, with multiple vehicles currently in active build and preparing for tests,” SpaceX wrote on its website. “This next iteration will be used for the first Starship orbital flights, operational payload missions, propellant transfer, and more as we iterate to a fully and rapidly reusable vehicle with service to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond.”

Starship V3 will have larger propellant tanks to increase the rocket’s lifting capacity, upgraded Raptor 3 engines, and an improved payload compartment to support launches of real Starlink satellites. SpaceX will also use this version of the rocket for orbital refueling experiments, a long-awaited milestone for the Starship program now planned for sometime next year. Orbital refueling is a crucial enabler for future Starship flights beyond low Earth orbit and is necessary for SpaceX to fulfill Musk’s ambition to send ships to Mars, the founder’s long-held goal for the company.

It’s also required for Starship flights to the moon. NASA has signed contracts with SpaceX worth more than $4 billion to develop a human-rated derivative of Starship to land astronauts on the moon as part of the agency’s Artemis program. The orbital refueling demonstration is a key milestone on the NASA lunar lander contract. Getting this done as soon as possible is vitally important to NASA, which is seeing its Artemis moon-landing schedule slip, in part due to Starship delays.

Dell has special Early Holiday deals, so you can beat the last-minute shopping rush this year. Limited time offers will save you $650 on the hottest models, including up to $250 off Alienware and Ultrasharp monitors, for crisp and clear gaming (or writing), up to $400 off Inspiron and XPS laptops, and up to $300 off desktops for true gamers. Ditch shipping costs too, and enjoy free standard delivery on all online orders. We’ve rounded up the top Dell coupon codes and discounts so you can save big on pricey tech.

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Save up to $650 on Dell Laptops, Monitors, and More

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10% Dell Coupon for Students, Military Members, and Medical Workers

Students, it’s the worst time of your life, you might as well save a little money. Just kidding, life only gets harder from here. Kidding. Again. Maybe. What is not a joke is this deal. Dell is giving students a 10% discount on things students need like Dell XPS laptops and Alienware gaming rigs. Don’t call them that when you tell your parents you need one. Just say it’s a Dell 32-inch 4K OLED Monitor that’s $60 off right now, no need to say anything about gaming. It’s for your eyes, because they’re starting to bleed from all the term papers.

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Not a student? No problem, Dell still has some great deals for your computing needs. Beyond students, Dell offers an extra 5% off Heroes discount for military members, veterans, employees, rewards members, and businesses. Verify through GovX or VCS in a matter of minutes to get exclusive pricing and early access to sale events.

What to Know About Dell Promo Codes and eGift Cards

Once you’ve added what you need to your cart, navigate to the checkout page. There, you will see a field with the text “Enter Code.” Simply paste your code into this box and click “Apply.” Be sure to check for restrictions (like only select items being eligible for the discount) to guarantee you get the savings you’re after. Dell eGift Cards are different from coupon codes and are part of special offers on select products, and the gift cards are pre-loaded with a balance that expires in 90 days.

Shop Our Favorite Dell Laptops for Your Gaming or Office Upgrade

Dell’s XPS laptops are the perfect addition to your tech setup. They’re lightweight, small, and plenty speedy. They’re Windows’ rough answer to Apple’s Macbook Pro line. The XPS 13 and upgraded Dell 14 Premium are some of our favorite laptops. Check out the featured laptop offers above to save up to $600, complete with free 2-day shipping and AI-driven PC options powered by Microsoft Copilot technology. If you’re a gamer, you probably already know that Dell makes Alienware, and the Dell Alienware m16 R2 is a powerful gaming machine masquerading as your next work laptop. It’s one of our favorite dual-use gaming rigs, making it perfect for students.

Get 9% Back With Dell Rewards Coupons and Financing Offers

Don’t forget that, in addition to the limited-time Dell coupons available, there are also limited-time discounts for Dell Rewards program members. To join, first create an account, then check the box after logging in to register. Rewards customers get double the points right now, or 6% back on everything, plus 9% back on all monitor purchases. Top Rewards discounts tend to rotate between product categories, including 9% back in rewards on Latitude, Dell Pro series, and Copilot PCs. Plus, there’s a variety of products with financing offers available, like a $50 bonus for Rewards members who open a Dell Pay Credit Account. Online orders qualify for free standard or 2-day shipping, returns, and competitive price matching.

Unlike many companies with price matching, Dell’s Price Match Guarantee covers both competitor products and if prices drop on the Dell website within 30 days. Best of all, competitor price match is available before or after you buy. So, when you find an identical Dell, HP, Apple or Lenovo computer, you’ll just need to share the link with a Dell expert through chat or a phone call to get that lower price. If you’ve already purchased the item, but find the product on Dell’s or a competitor’s site within 30 days, share the link through the Order Support portal and you’ll be refunded the difference.

After the latest round of mass firings at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention over the weekend, the union that represents agency employees estimates that around 3,000 people this year—about a quarter of the agency’s workforce—have departed the agency.

That number includes workers affected by layoffs earlier this year, as well those who have accepted the Trump administration’s “Fork in the Road” buyout program.

The most recent cuts came down amid the ongoing government shutdown. On October 10, more than 1,300 CDC employees received termination notices. Soon after, however, about 700 of those people were told via email that they were mistakenly terminated and were not in fact subject to the reduction in force. An estimated 600 people remain terminated.

An additional 1,300 CDC employees are, according to the union, on administrative leave and being paid but not working.

The Trump administration has not shared official numbers of those targeted by the reductions. The estimate was compiled by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 2883, which represents CDC workers.

The current round of reductions affects the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, the National Center for Health Statistics, the CDC library, the agency’s human resources department, campus safety staff, as well as the CDC’s office in Washington, DC, which acts as a liaison to Congress and provides public health information to policymakers.

“All HHS employees receiving reduction-in-force notices were designated nonessential by their respective divisions,” Andrew Nixon, director of communication at the Department of Health and Human Services, told WIRED via email.

Among those reinstated include staff that publish the agency’s flagship publication, the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, as well as leadership in the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases and National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, according to AFGE. Members of the Epidemic Intelligence Service, the CDC’s “disease detectives” unit, were also brought back.