SpaceX Starship Flight 12 live launch updates: Starship V3 to make 2nd launch attempt today
Space • • business
Key Points:
- SpaceX is making a second attempt to launch its new Starship Version 3 (V3) megarocket today, with a 90-minute launch window opening at 6:30 p.m. EDT (2230 GMT) from the new Pad 2 at Starbase, Texas, following a scrub due to a stuck hydraulic pin.
- This launch marks the first Starship flight of 2026 and the debut of the upgraded Starship V3 and Super Heavy booster, featuring faster fueling and improved booster catch capabilities designed for NASA's Artemis lunar missions and Starlink satellite deployments.
- The test flight, called Flight 12, will be a suborbital mission carrying 22 dummy Starlink satellites and will involve splashdown landings of both the upper stage in the Indian Ocean and the booster in the Gulf of Mexico, without attempting pad landings or captures.
- SpaceX has faced multiple delays for this launch since the original May 19 target, with the most recent postponement to May 21, but the company remains confident in proceeding with today's attempt if the technical issue is resolved.
- The launch event has attracted public interest, including celebrity presence like singer Nicki Minaj, and SpaceX's livestream coverage begins approximately 45 minutes before the scheduled liftoff.