Overview
- SpaceX has fully stacked the Version 3 Starship at Starbase and is targeting launch on Thursday, May 21 after short delays while completing prelaunch checks and pad preparation.
- Flight 12 will exercise multiple redesigns by deploying 20 mock satellites plus two camera‑equipped Starlink demo satellites to image the heat shield, attempt an in‑space Raptor engine restart, and follow a roughly 65‑minute suborbital profile.
- SpaceX will not try to ‘catch’ the Super Heavy booster with the tower’s mechanical arms on this maiden V3 flight, instead directing the booster to perform a controlled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico so engineers can evaluate boostback and landing burns.
- The test comes as SpaceX filed for an IPO likely in June, while regulators and agencies are watching closely, including an OSHA probe into a recent contractor death at Starbase and FAA and NASA oversight tied to Artemis schedule risks.
- SpaceX’s broader business ties the test to Starlink revenue and future missions because Starlink launches continued with 24 satellites on May 19 and the company needs reliable heat‑shield performance, engine restart and reuse to enable in‑orbit refueling for lunar and deep‑space plans.