SpaceX Starship Flight 12 launch updates: 1st Starship V3 will now launch on May 21
Space • • business
Key Points:
- SpaceX's Starship Flight 12 launch has been delayed twice and is now scheduled for May 21, with a 90-minute launch window opening at 6:30 p.m. EDT from Starbase, Texas.
- This flight will debut Starship Version 3 (V3), the largest and most powerful iteration of the rocket, featuring many upgrades since the last flight in October 2025.
- The mission involves a suborbital flight where the Starship upper stage will splash down in the Indian Ocean, while the Super Heavy booster will land in the Gulf of Mexico.
- Flight 12 will deploy 20 dummy Starlink satellites and two modified probes with cameras, continuing SpaceX's efforts to demonstrate Starship's capabilities ahead of future orbital missions.
- Successful Starship flights are critical for NASA’s Artemis 4 lunar mission in 2028 and SpaceX’s plans for reusable rockets to reduce launch costs for human spaceflight and satellite deployment.