SpaceX outlines Starship V3 upgrades

SpaceX on May 12 published a detailed outline of Starship V3, a new version of its Starship upper stage and Super Heavy booster that the company says will debut on its next flight test. The update moved the discussion from social-media summaries to an official company description of changes across the booster, ship, engines and launch pad. SpaceX said the third-generation system is powered by Raptor 3 engines and incorporates redesigns intended to support full and rapid reuse. The company’s launch schedule says Starship’s twelfth flight test is set for a window opening May 19 from Starbase, Texas. ### What did SpaceX actually publish? SpaceX on May 12 posted an “Introducing Starship V3” update on its website describing the third generation of Starship and Super Heavy. The company said the vehicles, powered by Raptor 3 and launching from an entirely new pad, incorporate lessons from years of flight testing and development. The company’s Flight 12 page says the next test will debut “the next generation Starship and Super Heavy vehicles,” along with the next evolution of the Raptor engine and a newly designed pad at Starbase. (spacex.com) SpaceX said the primary goal is to demonstrate those redesigned elements in flight for the first time. ### Which booster changes stand out most? (spacex.com) Super Heavy V3, according to SpaceX, reduces the number of grid fins from four to three, while making each fin 50% larger and stronger. The company said the fins were re-clocked and lowered on the booster, and that the grid fin shaft, actuator and fixed structure were moved inside the main fuel tank for protection. (spacex.com) An integrated hot stage replaces the previous single-use protective interstage, SpaceX said. The company also said the booster’s fuel transfer tube was completely redesigned and is now roughly the size of a Falcon 9 first stage, a change it said enables all 33 engines to start simultaneously and supports faster, more reliable flip maneuvers. Two physically separated quick-disconnect connection points now replace a single primary interface for loading propellants, according to the company. (spacex.com) SpaceX said that adds redundancy between the pad and vehicle while allowing supporting mechanisms to be smaller and less complex. ### What changed on the ship itself? Starship V3 includes what SpaceX called a clean-sheet redesign of its propulsion systems. (spacex.com) The company said the changes enable a new Raptor startup method, increase propellant tank volume and improve the reaction control system used for steering in flight. Aft-end fluid and electrical systems were rerouted, SpaceX said, allowing the deletion of individual engine shrouds and the large aft close-out volume used on earlier versions. (spacex.com) The company said those changes also reduce contained volumes in the aft end of the vehicle that could trap leaking propellant. ### What does Raptor 3 add? Raptor 3 sea-level engines now produce 250 metric tons of thrust, up from 230 metric tons on the prior version, while vacuum engines produce 275 metric tons, up from 258, SpaceX said. (spacex.com) The company said the engine changes are part of the broader V3 redesign. SpaceX’s Starship overview page continues to describe Starship as designed to carry more than 100 metric tonnes to orbit in a fully reusable configuration. (spacex.com) The company did not, in the May 12 V3 update excerpt available on its site, publish a new single-flight payload figure above that number. ### How does Flight 12 fit into the rollout? May 19 is the date SpaceX lists for Starship’s twelfth flight test, with a launch window opening at 5:30 p.m. (spacex.com) Central time from Starbase. The company said the booster will target an offshore landing point in the Gulf of America rather than a return-to-launch-site catch because this is the first flight of a significantly redesigned vehicle. (spacex.com) The upper stage is scheduled to attempt several in-space and reentry objectives, including deployment of 20 Starlink simulators and two modified Starlink satellites that SpaceX said will test hardware planned for Starlink V3. SpaceX also said the mission will include an in-space relight of one Raptor engine and additional heat-shield tests during entry. (spacex.com) SpaceX’s launches page lists Starship’s twelfth flight test for May 19, 2026, at Pad 2 in Starbase, Texas. The company says a live webcast will begin about 45 minutes before liftoff on its website and X account. (spacex.com)