SpaceX targets Starship V3 May 19 launch

SpaceX said on May 17 that it is preparing Starship’s twelfth flight test for launch as soon as Tuesday, May 19, from its Starbase site in South Texas. The company said the launch window will open at 5:30 p.m. Central time, or 6:30 p.m. Eastern, and that a live webcast will begin about 45 minutes before liftoff. SpaceX described the schedule as dynamic, a standard caveat for developmental tests. The mission would mark the next major flight in the company’s campaign to advance Starship, the fully reusable rocket system it says is designed for missions to Earth orbit, the Moon and Mars. ### Is this really a “Starship V3” launch? SpaceX’s official launch page calls the mission “Starship’s Twelfth Flight Test,” not a “Starship V3” debut. The company did, however, publish a May 12 update titled “Introducing Starship V3,” describing a third-generation Starship and Super Heavy with Raptor 3 engines and a new launch pad. (spacex.com) The May 12 SpaceX update says the V3 configuration incorporates lessons from years of testing and development. The company listed hardware changes including a Super Heavy booster with three grid fins instead of four, each larger than before, as part of the redesign. ### What exactly did SpaceX say about May 19? (spacex.com) SpaceX’s launch page says the twelfth flight test is preparing to launch “as soon as Tuesday, May 19.” The company said the launch window opens at 5:30 p.m. CT and that viewers can watch the webcast on its website, on X through @SpaceX and on the X TV app. (spacex.com) The company also said that, as with all developmental testing, the timeline could change. That language leaves room for delays tied to weather, vehicle readiness or regulatory requirements, though SpaceX did not specify any expected issue in the launch notice it posted. ### Where is the launch set to take place? (spacex.com) Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, is SpaceX’s development, manufacturing, testing and launch site for Starship. SpaceX says launches from Starbase are intended to support destinations in Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond. The Federal Aviation Administration identifies the Boca Chica site as the location where SpaceX proposes to conduct Starship and Super Heavy launch operations in Cameron County, Texas. (spacex.com) The agency says SpaceX must obtain the required experimental permit or vehicle operator license from the FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation to conduct those operations. (spacex.com) ### What is the FAA’s role before a Starship launch? The FAA says launch operators must obtain an experimental permit or vehicle operator license before flying from Boca Chica. The agency says its review covers public safety, national security and foreign policy concerns, insurance requirements and environmental impacts. (faa.gov) An FAA license document available on the agency’s website shows SpaceX holds a Starship-Super Heavy vehicle operator license that has been modified since its original issuance. The FAA materials do not, in the excerpts available here, specify a separate public approval dated May 17 for this particular attempt. ### Why does Starship matter to NASA’s lunar plans? (faa.gov) NASA has selected a version of Starship as the Human Landing System for its Artemis lunar program. That makes Starship testing relevant to a vehicle family that NASA plans to use for future moon missions, though SpaceX’s May 17 launch notice did not mention Artemis directly. (faa.gov) SpaceX says Starship is designed to carry more than 100 metric tonnes to orbit in a fully reusable configuration. The company describes it as the most powerful launch vehicle it has developed. ### What should watchers look for next? Tuesday, May 19, is the next date on SpaceX’s official schedule, with the launch window opening at 5:30 p.m. (spacex.com) CT from Starbase. SpaceX said its webcast will begin about 45 minutes before liftoff on its website and X account, where the company typically posts schedule changes if the target shifts. (spacex.com)