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6h ago

SpaceX Sets Wednesday Launch for First Starship V3 Test

The flight will validate a redesigned, more powerful rocket built for deep‑space missions.

Starship V3 on the launch pad during a wet dress rehearsal.
Image
The sun rises before preparations continue at launch pad 2 for the 12th test flight of SpaceX's Starship spacecraft and the Super Heavy booster in Starbase, Texas, U.S., May 18, 2026. In addition to being the inaugural voyage of both the V3 Starship and Super Heavy, the upcoming launch will mark the first blastoff from the new launch pad designed for the more powerful rocket. REUTERS/Steve Nesius
© SpaceX via X

Overview

  • SpaceX now targets Wednesday, May 20, for Flight 12 with a launch window opening at 6:30 p.m. ET, following a one‑day slip from the earlier Tuesday plan reported last week.
  • The debut pairs a new Starship and Super Heavy with higher‑thrust Raptor 3 engines and larger tanks, lifting off for the first time from Starbase’s upgraded Pad 2 under an FAA launch license.
  • Test goals include deploying roughly 20–22 Starlink mass simulators, relighting a Starship engine in space, and inspecting heat‑shield performance using painted tiles and one tile intentionally removed.
  • SpaceX will skip a tower catch on this flight as the Super Heavy aims for a controlled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico and the ship targets a later splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
  • NASA’s Artemis lunar plans and a planned SpaceX IPO add pressure to show progress, with data from this flight shaping next steps toward in‑orbit refueling and higher‑cadence missions.