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Starship V3 Ship makes fiery splashdown in Indian Ocean as planned
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SpaceX’s Starship V3 lands in Indian Ocean on 2 engines.
It fell over and exploded as expected to massive cheers from SpaceX’s employees. Our wrap up of today’s launch will be posted shortly.
SpaceX never intended to land and recover the Ship 39 upper stage. It did appear to survive reentry with no evidence of heat shield burnthrough as seen on some recent test flights.
It executed a landing bank and flip maneuver, as well as a landing burn with just two of its three engines working.
That will be it for today’s Starship Flight 12 coverage. Thank you all for joining us and we’ll see you at the next test flight, Starship Flight 13!
— Tariq Malik, Space.com Editor-in-Chief
Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief, Space.com
Starship V3 passes through peak reentry heating
(Image credit: SpaceX)
SpaceX reports its Starship V3 Ship has passed the peak heating of its reentry as it approaches is splashdown zone in the Indian Ocean.
Ship just its flaps in a load test at Mach 7. Landing burn is minutes away.
It will go through a banking maneuver and try to use its two good engines for the landing burn.
Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief, Space.com
Starship V3 begins reentry through Earth’s atmosphere
(Image credit: SpaceX)
SpaceX’s Starship V3 Ship 39 is beginning its reentry, with plasma blooming around its flaps.
It should make a water landing and splashdown in the Indian Ocean if all goes to plan.
(Image credit: SpaceX)
Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief, Space.com
SpaceX captures incredible video of Starship in space
(Image credit: SpaceX)
SpaceX’s 2 Starlink ‘Dodger Dogs’ captured incredible video and imagery of Starship after being deployed.
“That is a Starship in space,” SpaceX’s Dan Huot said.
Reentry is coming up in a few minutes as Starship flies over the Indian Ocean, he added.
(Image credit: SpaceX)
Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief, Space.com
Starship V3 Ship deploys 22 dummy Starlink satellites, coasts in space
(Image credit: SpaceX)
SpaceX’s Starship V3 upper stage, Ship 39, has successfully deployed all 22 of its dummy Starlink satellites. The process appeared to go smoothly and much faster then previous payload deployments.
Starship has a narrow slit of a payload bay that spits out flat Starlink satellites like a PEZ candy dispenser. Cheers rang out as the last two Starlink simulators were released. The so-caleld “Dodger Dogs” are models of SpaceX’s next-gen Starlinks to fly on Starship. They turned on flashlights to look back at the Ship in an attempt to photograph its heat shield. As the Starlnk lights turned on, more cheers rang out.
Ship 39 is now in a coast period ahead of its reentry around 7:35 p.m. EDT (2335 GMT). SpaceX has decided to forgo the in-space Raptor engine relight experiment, Dan Huot says.
Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief, Space.com
Starship V3 Ship deploying 22 dummy Starlink satellites
(Image credit: SpaceX)
SpaceX’s next-gen Starship V3 Ship is now deploying its 22 dummy Starlink satellites. It’s going a lot faster than on previous Starship flights, one of the V3 upgrades.
There are cheers ringing out at SpaceX’s headquarters, with chants of “USA!” as the satellites are released.
Starship has already released 10 of the 22 satellites. Two of the satellites have longer spines and carry cameras to take imagery of Starship’s heat shield as an experiment.
SpaceX calls them Dodger Dogs, like the famed hotdogs sold at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. They will be the last two Starlink satellites deployed.
Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief, Space.com
Starship V3 Ship on a trajectory that’s ‘within bounds’ after engine dropout
SpaceX spokesperson Dan Huot says Starship V3 is on a trajectory that is “within bounds” despite losing one of tis 6 engines during the ascent into space.
“I wouldn’t call it nominal orbital insertion, but we’re in on a trajectory that we had analyzed, and it’s within bounds,” Huot said in live commentary. “So, teams continuing to work through it with that engine out there, working some through some steps on the engines.”
SpaceX flight controllers may skip the Raptor engine relight for this flight.
The payload door on Starship is now open and it appears SpaceX is continuing with the deployment of the 22 dummy satellites.
Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief, Space.com
SpaceX’s 1st next-gen Starship V3 reaches space
(Image credit: SpaceX)
Starship Flight 12: SpaceX’s Starship V3 upper stage, Ship 39, has successully reached space despite the loss of one of its six engines. It burned its remaining five engines a bit longer to compensate.
The rest of the flight should last just under an hour, if all goes well.
Planned for the next hour:
The deployment of 22 dummy Starlink satellites and a Raptor engine relight demonstration.
Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief, Space.com
Starship V3 Ship in flight, booster crashes after incomplete burn
(Image credit: SpaceX)
Starship Flight 12: Stage Separation! The Super Heavy booster did separate from its Ship 39 upper stage. The booster did not complete its boost back burn, but recovery was not planned on this flight. Ship continuing onward, with 1 of its 6 engines out.
The Super Heavy booster fell swiftly back to Earth and crashed in the Gulf of Mexico uncontrolled.
Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief, Space.com
LIFTOFF! SpaceX launches Starship V3 megarocket
LIFTOFF! SpaceX launches next-generation Starship V3 on 1st ever test flight. 1 of the 33 engines on 1st stage is out, but ascent is still underway.
Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief, Space.com
NASA Chief Jared Isaacman at Starship launch
(Image credit: SpaceX)
NASA chief Jared Isaacman is at the SpaceX Starship V3 launch. He just spoke with SpaceX spokesman Dan Huot, a former NASA public affairs officer, about the importance of Starship for NASA’s Artemis moon program.
Starship is the current lander for the Artemis 4 moon landing mission with astronauts.
Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief, Space.com
1st-ever Starship V3 test launch minutes away
SpaceX is now just 10 minutes away from the planned launch of its Starship Flight 12 test flight of the new, next-generation Starship V3 megarocket.
Liftoff remains on target for 6:30 p.m. EDT (2230 GMT).
SpaceX says it understands and has addressed the hydraulic pin issue that prevented a Flight 12 launch yesterday. It shouldn’t happen again, SpaceX spokesperson Dan Huot says.
In the Indian Ocean, a Space reentry team is waiting to observer the return to Earth of the Starship V3 upper stage. The team has deployed a series of camera-carrying buoys to try and capture live video of the landing and splashdown.
Yes, they are powered by SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet system.
Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief, Space.com
Fueling underway for Starship V3 launch
SpaceX reports all systems are go as fueling continues for its Starship Flight 12 test flight of the next-generation V3 rocket.
The fueling process will continue until just minutes before liftoff to top the giant Starship off ith its liquid methane and liquid oxygen propellant.
For Starship V3, SpaceX has upgraded the fuel transfer tube inside the giant Super Heavy booster to better deliver propellant to the 33 Raptor engines on the first stage.
Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief, Space.com
SpaceX goes live for Starship V3 rocket launch
Hello, Space Fans! We are live with SpaceX’s livestream of the Starship Flight 12 test flight, the first-ever launch of a Starship V3 rocket, the third version of the massive booster. The stakes for this Starship V3 flight are high.
Today’s Starship test flight will not go into orbit. It is set to lift off from Pad 2 at Starbase, Texas at 6:30 p.m. EDT (2230 GMT) on a suborbital path that will take its Ship upper stage to a water “landing” and splashdown point in the Indian Ocean, west of Australia. You can watch it live here and at the top of this page:
The Super Heavy booster will return to its launch site, but will not attempt to land at Pad 2 and be captured by its “chopstick” metal arms. Instead, it will make a water landing of its own offshore in the Gulf of Mexico.
This Starship V3 carries many upgrades over its Starshp V2 counterpart, including sleek Raptor 3 engines, bigger fuel tanks and more. It will be carrying 22 dummy Starlink internet satellites, two of them “Dodger Dogs” that will attempt to photograph Starship in space, to test faster deployment systems.
From liftoff to landing, the test flight should last about 1 hour and 5 minutes.
Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief, Space.com
Starship V3 ‘Go’ for fueling
SpaceX just announced that it’s launch team is “go” to start fueling its Starship V3 Fligth 12 test flight today. Liftoff remains on target for 6:30 p.m. EDT (2230 GMT).
The Starship team is go for prop load https://t.co/bfIHYnvZuCMay 22, 2026
Today’s Starship Flight 12 test flight has a launch window that closes at 8 p.m. EDT (0000 GMT).
This is SpaceX’s first Starship launch of 2026. Here’s a look at how Starship V3 has been upgraded over the V2 version.
Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief, Space.com
Weather looks good for Starship V3 launch today
SpaceX is counting down to its planned launch of the Starship V3 Flight 12 test flight today and the weather looks good, the company said. Liftoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. EDT (2230 GMT). SpaceX’s livestream will now begin about 30 minutes before liftoff, at 6 p.m. EDT.
There is an 85% chance of good weather at launch time, SpaceX reports.
Meanwhile, satellites in orbit have spotted Starship V3 on the pad. In this photo, taken by Vantor’s WorldView Legion satellites, you can see the Starship V3 atop its pad as seen from low-Earth orbit.
“Wishing SpaceX lots of luck for today’s launch. At Vantor, we’re continuing to watch the future of space from space,” Vantor wrote in an X post on Thursday.
Starship V3 is SpaceX’s newest and biggest version of Starship yet. Today’s test flight will attempt a water landing and splashdown of both the Super Heavy and Ship vehicle, test the Pad 2 launch site at Starbase, Texas, as well as numerous upgrades to the Starship rocket.
Here’s a video recap from our own Josh Dinner:
Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief, Space.com
SpaceX to make 2nd attempt to launch Starship V3 today
(Image credit: SpaceX)
SpaceX will try to launch its new Starship Version 3 megarocket today during a flight window that opens at 6:30 p.m. EDT (2230 GMT), one day after a stuck hydraulic pin thwarted a first launch try. Our livestream will begin at about 5:45 p.m. EDT (2145 GMT).
“The hydraulic pin hollding the tower arm in place did not retract,” SpaceX CEO Elon Musk wrote on X after the Starship launch scrub. “If that can be fixed tonight, there will be another launch attempt tomorrow at 5:30 CT.”
SpaceX’s Starship V3 test flight, called Flight 12, has a 90-minute launch window today in which to lift off from its new Pad 2 site at the company’s Starbase facility in South Texas. The window closes at 8 p.m. EDT (0000 GMT). This is the first launch of Starship this year and the first test flight of the redesigned Starship vehicle and Super Heavy booster.
Pad 2 is also new, and includes upgrades to allow faster booster catches and easier turnaround. So everything is new, and SpaceX needs it to go well for its Starship, Artemis lander and other programs.
Here’s a look at what’s at stake for SpaceX’s Starship Flight 12 launch.
I’ll be with you today for the duration, so TGIF!
Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief, Space.com
SCRUB: SpaceX calls off 1st Starship V3 launch, may fly May 22
SpaceX just called off today’s launch attempt of its first-ever upgraded Starship V3 rocket due to a technical issue in the last minute before liftoff.
You can read our full story on today’s Starship Flight 12 launch scrub here, Nicki Minaj cameo and all.
“New rocket, new pad, we’re learning a lot about these new systems as we execute them for the first time,” SpaceX’s Dan Huot said in live commentary. “We are expecting to be able to make another flight attempt tomorrow.”
If SpaceX is able to attempt a launch of Starship on the Flight 12 test flight, the window will remain the same. The launch would be scheduled for 6:30 p.m. EDT (2230 GMT) with a window that runs 90 minutes long, closing at 8 p.m. EDT (0000 GMT). Our launch webcast will begin about 45 minutes before liftoff at 5:45 p.m. EDT (2145 GMT).
Thanks so much for tuning in and we’ll see you again tomorrow!
Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief, Space.com
HOLD: SpaceX at T-40 seconds and holding for Starship launch
SpaceX is at T-40 seconds and holding for Starship V3 launch. The clock restarted briefly twice before cycling back.
“So that water diverter underneath the system did trip a hold, but that basically just gives the team the chance to look at it, see if it’s something that we need to troubleshoot in data,” SpaceX’s Dan Huot says.
SpaceX can hold here for several minutes if needed to troubleshoot.
Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief, Space.com
Singer Nicki Minaj onhand to watch Starship launch
Singer Nicki Minaj show off a SpaceX Starship t-shirt while awaiting Starship Flight 12 on May 21, 2026 (Image credit: SpaceX)
Singer Nicki Minaj, who sang the hit “Starships” is onhand to watch Starship V3 launch.
“This is historic. This is a major moment, y’all,” Minaj said.
LIftoff is now minutes away at 7:30 p.m ET (2330 GMT). You can watch live here.
Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief, Space.com
SpaceX says cryptocurrency billionaire will fly Starship to Mars
SpaceX just announced that private Fram2 Dragon commander Chun Wang, cryptocurrency billionaire explorer, will lead the 1st Starship flyby of Mars, which will also swing by the moon, a surprise announcement as we wait for the V3 launch.
“So it’s going to be a fly by mission of Mars,” Wang said in a recorded video. A lot of people talk about Mars. We like Mars, we’re gonna land on Mars. We’re gonna do a colony on Mars, but let’s get it started with a flyby.
Here’s what Wang did on Fram2.
Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief, Space.com
Fueling underway for Starship Flight 12
SpaceX is now fueling the Starship V3 rocket with the hundreds of thousands of gallons of propellant needed for launch.
This Starship Flight 12 is launching from Pad 2, a new launch pad designed for Starship V3.
“We’re loading about 20% faster on Pad 2 than we did on Pad 1,” SpaceX spokesperson Dan Huot said in live commentary.
Starship uses liquid methane and liquid oxygen for propellant during launch.
Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief, Space.com
SpaceX is LIVE: Weather great for Starship Flight 12 launch
(Image credit: SpaceX)
SpaceX is LIVE for today’s launch of the SpaceX Starship Flight 12 test flight of the first ever Version 3, or V3, of Starship.
You can watch the launch live on our homepage and at the top of this page here.
SpaceX’s Dan Huot says that upper level winds are what delayed today’s launch from 6:30 p.m. EDT (2230 GMT) to 7:30 p.m. EDT (2330 GMT). But the weather now looks great for launch, he says.
He’s now going over the differences of Starship V3 to Starship V2.
Today, we’re now carrying the heaviest payload ever carried on Starship,” Huot said. It’s carrying 22 dummy Starlink internet satellites.
Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief, Space.com
Starship V3 ‘go’ for fueling, SpaceX says
SpaceX has given the go-ahead to fuel the massive Starship V3 megarocket, its Ship upper stage and Super Heavy first stage, for launch.
“The Starship team is go for prop load,” SpaceX wrote on X.
Liftoff remains on track for Starship V3’s Flight 12 launch at 7:30 p.m. EDT (2330 GMT).
Starship uses liquid oxygen and liquid methane to launch the towering 408-foot tall rocket into space. The first stage alone is powered by 33 Raptor engines.
Our Spaceflight Writer Josh Dinner has this story on what upgrades make SpaceX’s Starship V3 stand apart. Check it out.
Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief, Space.com
SpaceX Starship V3 Gets NEW LAUNCH TIME: 7:30 pm ET
NEW LAUNCH TIME: SpaceX has pushed the launch of Starship Flight 12 back a bit more.
The first Starship V3 megarocket will now launch no earlier than 7:30 p.m. EDT (2330 GMT) today after another slip, according to SpaceX’s Starship Flight 12 mission page. Our launch livestream will now begin at 6:45 p.m. EDT (2245 GMT).
“Now targeting 6:30 p.m. CT for liftoff of Starship,” SpaceX wrote in a new social media update. Again, there was not a reason given for the delays today so far.
SpaceX’s 90-minute launch window runs from 6:30 p.m. EDT (2230 GMT) through 8 p.m. EDT (0000 GMT) for the Flight 12 mission at its Starbase test site in South Texas. A backup day may be available on Friday if needed.
Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief, Space.com
NEW LAUNCH TIME: SpaceX Starship V3 launch now @ 7 p.m. ET
SpaceX has slightly delayed the launch of its Starship V3 test flight by 30 minutes.
Liftoff of Starship Flight 12 is now set for no earlier than 7 p.m. EDT (2300 GMT). It will be 6 p.m. local time at SpaceX’s Starbase, Texas launch site at the time. Our launch webcast from SpaceX will now begin at 6:15 p.m. EDT (2215 GMT), 45 minutes before launch.
SpaceX did not give a specific reason for the launch delay.
“Now targeting 6:00 p.m. CT for liftoff of Starship,” the company wrote in a social media update on X.
SpaceX has a 90-minute window for today’s Starship launch. It opens at 6:30 p.m. EDT (2230 GMT) and closes at 8 p.m. EDT (0000 GMT).
The stakes are extremely high for SpaceX with today’s Starship Fligth 12 launch. Our Spaceflight Editor Mike Wall lays out the stakes for SpaceX’s Starship V3 test flight in our feature here.
Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief, Space.com
SpaceX on track for 6:30 p.m. EDT launch window
A painted Starbase sign near Starbase’s launch pad 1, next to Boca Chica Beach, March 12, 2024. (Image credit: Space.com / Josh Dinner)
Boca Chica Beach closed to the public this morning, as SpaceX continues gearing up for the launch of Starship Flight 12.
It’s the first Starship flight of the year, and ends a seven-month hiatus since Flight 11 last October. This is also the first launch of Starship Version 3 (V3), and has a lot riding on the mission’s success.
SpaceX will launch its 1st-ever Starship V3 megarocket today. The stakes couldn’t be higher
SpaceX confirmed they are still proceeding toward a launch this evening in a post on X. You can watch the mission live here at Space.com, or on SpaceX’s website. Coverage is scheduled to begin at 5:45 p.m. EDT (2145 GMT), or about 45 minutes prior to liftoff during a launch window from 6:30 p.m. EDT (2230 GMT), until 8 p.m. EDT (0000 GMT, April 22).
On track for today’s Starship flight test. The launch window is from 5:30 p.m. CT – 7 p.m. CT and live coverage starts ~45 minutes before launch https://t.co/vwvur0GZdDMay 21, 2026
Staff Writer, Spaceflight
Starship V3 launching today
Starship stands on the Starbase launch pad 2 ahead of Flight 12. (Image credit: SpaceX)
The sun has risen on SpaceX’s newest Starship rocket, and the company is progressing toward a launch this evening during a window that opens at 6:30 p.m. EDT (2230 GMT).
The 1.5-hour window is the first time this year that SpaceX will attempt to launch its Starship prototype rocket, and today’s V3 variant is the first mission for the new, upgraded build.
Today’s suborbital flight is expected to last about an hour. Neither the Super Heavy booster or Ship upper stage will attempt recoveries back at SpaceX’s Starbase facility. Instead, both will perform landing burns for soft splashdowns at sea.
Coverage of today’s launch is scheduled to begin at 5:45 p.m. EDT (2145 GMT). You can watch it live here at Space.com courtesy of SpaceX, or directly via the company’s website; coverage will start about 45 minutes before liftoff.
Staff Writer, Spaceflight
SpaceX completes Starship V3 wet dress rehearsal
SpaceX stacked Starship V3 ahead of Flight 12 on May 19, 2026. (Image credit: SpaceX)
The public beach next to SpaceX’s Starbase launch and test facility was closed today (May 20), between about 6:30 a.m. EDT (1030 GMT) and 2 p.m. EDT (1830 GMT), while the company completed a wet dress rehearsal on the rocket and ground systems.
Ahead of tomorrow’s scheduled 6:30 p.m. EDT (2230 GMT) launch window, SpaceX ran the vehicle through a full simulated countdown, including tanking operations with the rocket’s cryogenically-cooled liquid oxygen and liquid methane propellants.
Staff Writer, Spaceflight
Starship stacked ahead of launch
SpaceX raises Ship 39 onto its Super Heavy booster ahead of the Flight 12 test launch and debut of Starship V3. (Image credit: SpaceX)
Starship is back at the pad.
SpaceX rolled Super Heavy (Booster 19) and its Starship upper stage (Ship 39) back to pad 2 at the company’s Starbase facility yesterday, stacking the pair ahead of tomorrow’s test launch.
Today (May 20), SpaceX will perform a wet dress rehearsal (WDR) on the vehicle, simulating mission countdown procedures and fully fueling the rocket, but without an engine ignition. If all goes according to plan, today’s WDR will be the last major test of Starship before tomorrow’s liftoff, currently scheduled during a 1.5-hour launch window that opens at 6:30 p.m. EDT (2230 GMT).
It will be the debut launch for the Starship Version 3 (V3), which features several upgrades compared to previous designs, and is meant to be a step toward qualifying the vehicle as the lunar lander for NASA’s Artemis program and operational missions to launch SpaceX’s Starlink satellites and future orbital data center vehicles.
Starship stacked on the pad at Starbase pic.twitter.com/aYM9xw8BVjMay 20, 2026
Staff Writer, Spaceflight
SpaceX Starship Flight 12 will now launch on May 21
The 12th test flight of SpaceX’s Starship megarocket has slipped yet again, to Thursday evening (May 21). That’s the second delay in the past two days; SpaceX had originally targeted Tuesday (May 19) for the launch but pushed it to Wednesday (May 20). And now Wednesday is off the table as well.
Starship Flight 12 is currently targeted to lift off from SpaceX‘s Starbase site in South Texas on Thursday, during a 90-minute window that opens at 6:30 p.m. EDT (2230 GMT; 5:30 local time in Texas). You can watch it here at Space.com when the time comes.
The test flight will send Starship’s upper stage on a suborbital trajectory partway around the world, with splashdown coming in the Indian Ocean off Western Australia about 65 minutes after liftoff. Starship’s Super Heavy first stage will make a controlled splashdown of its own in the Gulf of Mexico about seven minutes after launch.
Flight 12 will mark the debut of Starship Version 3 (V3), the biggest and most powerful iteration of the rocket to date. It features many upgrades over its predecessors, which helps explain the long gap in Starship flights. The megarocket last took to the sky in October 2025.
Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief, Space.com
What time is Starship V3 launch? Road closure clues
SpaceX conducts a launch rehearsal with its first Starship V3 megarocket at its Starbase site in South Texas on May 11, 2026. (Image credit: SpaceX)
With SpaceX’s Starship V3 test flight just a few days away, I thought it might be helpful to make a guide to the timing of the mission.
In my latest story – helpfully titled “What time is SpaceX’s Starship V3 launch on May 20? (Starship Flight 12 timeline)” – I’ve laid out a what has become a fairly standard timeline for SpaceX’s Starship launches. Based on the information we have now, it is a pretty good idea of what to expect.
Here’s the basics:
On Wednesday, May 20, SpaceX will attempt to launch its Starship V3 at 6:30 p.m. EDT (2230 GMT). It will actually be 5:30 p.m. local time at SpaceX’s Starbase, Texas launch site.
SpaceX’s livestream of the launch will begin about 45 minutes BEFORE liftoff, so you’ll want to tune in around 5:45 p.m. EDT (2145 GMT).
HOWEVER! SpaceX has said the launch window opens at 6:30 p.m. EDT, so there is wiggle room and the exact time could change. In the past, Starship launch windows have varied from 30 minutes to 2 hours. So it’s possible the launch time will be later what SpaceX has said.
The launch day could change as well. In fact it already has. As I say in my piece, SpaceX initially aimed for a May 19 launch, but pushed the Starship flight back 24 hours without explanation (probably for more preflight checks).
But TODAY, we received a new road closure alert from Starbase, Texas officials. That alert states that the town is closing off public access to the roads around SpaceX’s Starbase test site (which is near a public beach), from May 19 through the end of May 21, which suggests a potential back up launch day of at least May 21 is available.
Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief, Space.com
SpaceX Starship Flight 12 will now launch on May 20
(Image credit: SpaceX)
Hello, Space Fans, and welcome to our coverage of SpaceX’s newest Starship rocket, the Starship V3 booster, which will launch the much-anticipated Flight 12 test flight this week.
We were expecting the launch to occur on Tuesday, May 19, but over the weekend SpaceX updated its plans and pushed the launch back by 24 hours. SpaceX’s Flight 12 Starship V3 launch is now scheduled for no earlier than Wednesday (May 20) from Pad 2 at the company’s Starbase, Texas test site. Liftoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. EDT (2230 GMT).
It’s been seven long months since SpaceX’s Starship Flight 11 launch last fall. In 2025, SpaceX launched five Starship test flights, but Flight 12 will be the first Starship mission of 2026.
A lot is riding on this flight. NASA needs Starship to work in order to serve as the lander for its Artemis 4 astronauts during a lunar landing mission in 2028. SpaceX is relying on the fully reusable Starship to dramatically lower launch costs for its human spaceflight projects, Starlink internet satellites and plans for orbital data centers.
SpaceX has yet to launch a Starship into orbit or on a mission with an actual payload (though recent flights have carried dummy Starlink satellites).
Flight 12 will do much the same as its predecessors. It will launch a Starship upper stage on a suborbital flight that will make a water-based landing and splashdown in the Indian Ocean. During the flight, the Ship will deploy 20 dummy Starlink satellites, and two modified probes that will use cameras to beam photos of the Ship back to Earth.
The Super Heavy booster, meanwhile, will return to Earth to make a water-based landing and splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast from Starbase.
Future Starship launches will likely attempt to return both the Super Heavy and Starship upper stage to the two pads at Starbase, where they will be caught by the giant metal arms of SpaceX’s “Mechazilla” pad structure. Those landings and captures are a core plan of the reusability of the Starship system, and SpaceX has already captured Super Heavy on its Pad 1 several times.
Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief, Space.com