SpaceX completes full-stack tests for Starship Flight 12

SpaceX said on May 14 it had completed full-stack testing for Starship Flight 12, the latest prelaunch milestone before the company’s next Starship launch attempt from Starbase, Texas. The company’s mission page now says the twelfth flight test is preparing to launch as soon as Tuesday, May 19, with the launch window opening at 5:30 p.m. Central Time. SpaceX says the mission will debut its next-generation Starship and Super Heavy vehicles, a new version of the Raptor engine and a newly designed launch pad at Starbase. The Federal Aviation Administration’s commercial launch license for Starship remains the governing federal approval for launches, though SpaceX says schedules for developmental tests can change. ### What exactly did SpaceX say was finished on May 14? SpaceX said full-stack testing for Flight 12 was complete on May 14, referring to integrated work on the stacked Starship upper stage and Super Heavy booster ahead of launch. The company has not published a separate long-form statement on that milestone on its mission page, but the update aligns with the final run-up to the launch campaign now listed on SpaceX’s site. (spacex.com) May 19 is the date now shown on SpaceX’s Flight 12 page, replacing earlier mid-May expectations tracked by outside observers and launch watchers. NASASpaceflight reported on May 1 that notices for launch windows had opened as early as May 12, underscoring how the target date moved as testing continued. ### Which hardware is supposed to fly on Flight 12? (spacex.com) SpaceX says Flight 12 will be the first launch of its next-generation Starship and Super Heavy vehicles, powered by the next evolution of the Raptor engine. The company says the mission is designed to demonstrate those changes in flight for the first time, with significant redesigns across the vehicle architecture aimed at rapid reuse. Starbase, Texas is also part of the test. SpaceX says Flight 12 will launch from a newly designed pad at the company’s South Texas site, making the ground system itself part of the mission’s debut hardware set. ### What will SpaceX try to do during the mission? SpaceX says the booster’s primary objectives are launch, ascent, stage separation, a boostback burn and a landing burn to an offshore point in the Gulf of America. (spacex.com) The company says the booster will not attempt a return to the launch site for catch on this mission because it is the first flight of a significantly redesigned vehicle. The Starship upper stage is scheduled to attempt multiple in-space and reentry tests, including deployment of 22 Starlink simulators. SpaceX says the final two simulators will scan the ship’s heat shield and send imagery to operators, while a single Raptor relight in space is also planned. ### Why has Flight 12 drawn unusual attention inside the Starship program? (spacex.com) October 13, 2025 was the date of Starship’s eleventh flight test, which SpaceX described as the final flight of the second-generation Starship and first-generation Super Heavy booster, and the final launch from the current configuration of Pad 1. That makes Flight 12 the first mission in the next hardware cycle described by the company. May 27, 2025 was the date of Flight 9, and NASASpaceflight reported on May 1 that a May 2026 launch would come after one of the longer gaps between Starship flights. The publication also reported that the Federal Aviation Administration had approved adjusted paths for a more southerly departure over the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean. ### What approvals and public updates should watchers look for next? (spacex.com) The FAA license document available on the agency’s website shows SpaceX holds Commercial Space Transportation License No. VOL 23-129 Rev. 2 for Starship-Super Heavy launches, subject to conditions and later orders. SpaceX’s mission page says developmental-test schedules remain dynamic and directs viewers to its website and X account for updates. (spacex.com) Tuesday, May 19 is the next date to watch. SpaceX says its live webcast for Flight 12 will begin about 30 minutes before the opening of the 5:30 p.m. Central launch window, and the company’s mission page remains the primary source for any slip or confirmation. (spacex.com) (faa.gov)