SpaceX Starship Flight 12 launch updates: 1st Starship V3 stacked ahead of May 21 liftoff
Space • • business
Key Points:
- SpaceX is preparing to launch its upgraded Starship V3 rocket during a 1.5-hour window opening at 6:30 p.m. EDT (2230 GMT) on May 21, marking the first Starship flight attempt of 2026 and the debut of the new V3 variant.
- The suborbital test flight will last about an hour, with the Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage performing soft splashdowns at sea instead of attempting land recoveries at the Starbase facility.
- A wet dress rehearsal, including full fueling and simulated countdown procedures, was successfully completed on May 20 as the final major test before launch.
- The launch has experienced multiple delays, initially scheduled for May 19, then May 20, and now set for May 21, with local road closures around Starbase, Texas, extending through May 21 to accommodate the launch and possible backup days.
- Flight 12 is critical for SpaceX's goals to qualify Starship as NASA's Artemis lunar lander and to support future missions including Starlink satellite deployments and orbital data centers, though the rocket has yet to complete an orbital launch or carry a true payload.