The world's largest and most powerful rocket debuts its Version 3 design. Watch the first Starship V3 launch live from Starbase, Texas.
Starship V3 is the newest version of SpaceX's fully reusable megarocket. It features significant upgrades over its predecessors, including the all-new Raptor 3 engines, increased propellant capacity, and enhanced structural design. Flight 12 marks the debut launch of this Version 3 configuration.
The Super Heavy booster is powered by 33 Raptor 3 engines, delivering over 16.7 million pounds of thrust at liftoff — making it the most powerful rocket ever flown. The Raptor 3 features a simplified, more reliable design with higher chamber pressure and thrust compared to earlier versions.
At nearly 400 feet tall when fully stacked, Starship V3 is the tallest rocket ever built. The vehicle comprises two fully reusable stages: the Super Heavy booster and the Starship upper stage, both designed for rapid reuse and minimal refurbishment between flights.
NASA has selected Starship as the human landing system for the Artemis program. Starship V3 is a critical step toward qualifying the vehicle for Artemis 4, which aims to land astronauts on the Moon as early as 2028.
During Flight 12, the Starship upper stage will deploy 20 dummy Starlink satellites as a rehearsal for operational missions. Future Starship flights are expected to carry real Starlink satellites, dramatically accelerating the constellation's deployment.
SpaceX has outlined plans to use Starship for deploying orbital data center vehicles, leveraging the rocket's massive payload capacity to put significant computing infrastructure into space.
Both stages are designed to be caught by the "Mechazilla" tower arms at Starbase for immediate turnaround. SpaceX has already successfully caught Super Heavy boosters on Pad 1 multiple times. Future flights will attempt booster and ship captures.
The suborbital test flight will send the Starship upper stage on a trajectory partway around the world, with splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
Starship V3 lifts off from Pad 2 at SpaceX's Starbase facility in South Texas, powered by 33 Raptor 3 engines generating 16.7 million pounds of thrust.
Super Heavy booster separates from the Starship upper stage using a hot-staging technique, where the upper stage engines ignite while still attached to the booster.
Super Heavy performs a controlled descent and splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico, approximately 7 minutes after liftoff.
The Starship upper stage deploys 20 dummy Starlink satellites, simulating operational deployment procedures.
Starship upper stage makes a controlled water landing and splashdown in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Western Australia, completing the mission approximately 65 minutes after launch.
Real-time coverage of the Starship V3 debut launch, from countdown through splashdown.
SpaceX stacked Starship V3 ahead of Flight 12 on May 19, 2026. The public beach next to SpaceX's Starbase launch and test facility was closed today between about 6:30 a.m. EDT (1030 GMT) and 2 p.m. EDT (1830 GMT), while the company completed a wet dress rehearsal on the rocket and ground systems. Ahead of tomorrow's scheduled 6:30 p.m. EDT (2230 GMT) launch window, SpaceX ran the vehicle through a full simulated countdown, including tanking operations with the rocket's cryogenically-cooled liquid oxygen and liquid methane propellants.
SpaceX raised Ship 39 onto its Super Heavy booster ahead of the Flight 12 test launch and debut of Starship V3. SpaceX rolled Super Heavy (Booster 19) and its Starship upper stage (Ship 39) back to pad 2 at the company's Starbase facility, stacking the pair ahead of the test launch. It will be the debut launch for the Starship Version 3 (V3), which features several upgrades compared to previous designs, and is meant to be a step toward qualifying the vehicle as the lunar lander for NASA's Artemis program and operational missions to launch SpaceX's Starlink satellites and future orbital data center vehicles.
The 12th test flight of SpaceX's Starship megarocket has slipped yet again, to Thursday evening (May 21). Starship Flight 12 is currently targeted to lift off from SpaceX's Starbase site in South Texas on Thursday, during a 90-minute window that opens at 6:30 p.m. EDT (2230 GMT; 5:30 local time in Texas). The test flight will send Starship's upper stage on a suborbital trajectory partway around the world, with splashdown coming in the Indian Ocean off Western Australia about 65 minutes after liftoff. Starship's Super Heavy first stage will make a controlled splashdown of its own in the Gulf of Mexico about seven minutes after launch.
SpaceX conducts a launch rehearsal with its first Starship V3 megarocket at its Starbase site in South Texas. On Wednesday, May 20, SpaceX will attempt to launch its Starship V3 at 6:30 p.m. EDT (2230 GMT). SpaceX's livestream of the launch will begin about 45 minutes before liftoff. However, a new road closure alert from Starbase officials states that the town is closing off public access to the roads around SpaceX's Starbase test site from May 19 through the end of May 21, which suggests a potential backup launch day of at least May 21 is available.
It's been seven long months since SpaceX's Starship Flight 11 launch last fall. In 2025, SpaceX launched five Starship test flights, but Flight 12 will be the first Starship mission of 2026. A lot is riding on this flight. NASA needs Starship to work in order to serve as the lander for its Artemis 4 astronauts during a lunar landing mission in 2028. SpaceX is relying on the fully reusable Starship to dramatically lower launch costs for its human spaceflight projects, Starlink internet satellites and plans for orbital data centers.
The Version 3 design introduces a host of improvements over the previous V1 and V2 configurations.
Starship V3 features stretched tanks on both stages, allowing for significantly more propellant volume. This increased capacity enables longer burns and heavier payload delivery compared to earlier versions.
The upgraded thermal protection system uses next-generation hexagonal tiles designed for improved durability and faster manufacturing. The shield is engineered to withstand more reentry cycles between replacements.
Upgraded flight computers, sensors, and control systems provide greater redundancy and autonomy during flight. The avionics suite supports the vehicle's complex reentry and landing maneuvers.
Key structural elements have been strengthened to handle the increased loads from the more powerful Raptor 3 engines and the higher propellant mass. These reinforcements improve the vehicle's overall robustness.
Quick answers to the most common questions about Starship V3 and Flight 12.
SpaceX Starship Flight 12 is scheduled to launch no earlier than Thursday, May 21, 2026, during a 90-minute window opening at 6:30 p.m. EDT (2230 GMT) from SpaceX's Starbase facility in South Texas.
SpaceX's official livestream begins approximately 45 minutes before liftoff, around 5:45 p.m. EDT (2145 GMT). You can watch the livestream by clicking the "Watch Livestream" button on this page.
Starship V3 is the biggest and most powerful iteration of the rocket to date. It features Raptor 3 engines, increased propellant capacity, an improved heat shield, enhanced avionics, and structural reinforcements compared to the V1 and V2 designs.
Flight 12 aims to demonstrate the V3 design's performance. The Super Heavy booster will make a controlled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico, and the Starship upper stage will fly a suborbital trajectory with splashdown in the Indian Ocean. During the flight, 20 dummy Starlink satellites will be deployed.
NASA has selected Starship as the human landing system for its Artemis program. Starship V3 is a critical step toward qualifying the vehicle to land astronauts on the Moon, with the Artemis 4 mission targeting a lunar landing as early as 2028.
When fully stacked, Starship V3 stands nearly 400 feet (122 meters) tall, making it the tallest rocket ever built. The Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage together create this record-breaking vehicle.
The previous Starship test flight, Flight 11, launched in October 2025. Flight 12 will be the first Starship mission of 2026, following a seven-month gap during which SpaceX prepared the V3 design.
Mechazilla is the nickname for the launch tower at Starbase equipped with giant metal arms designed to catch returning Super Heavy boosters and Starship upper stages. SpaceX has already successfully caught Super Heavy on its Pad 1 several times.