SpaceX targets Starship Flight 12 May 21

SpaceX is targeting Thursday, May 21, for Starship’s 12th flight test after pushing the launch back by 24 hours. The company said the launch window opens at 5:30 p.m. Central time from Starbase, Texas, and described the schedule as subject to change. The mission is the first flight of Starship V3 and Super Heavy V3, the next-generation versions of the rocket system SpaceX is developing for satellite launches, lunar missions and, eventually, Mars transport. The attempt comes more than seven months after Flight 11 lifted off on October 13, 2025, according to SpaceX. ### Why is Flight 12 getting so much attention? Flight 12 is the first test of a substantially redesigned Starship system. SpaceX said the new vehicles are powered by the “next evolution” of the Raptor engine and are launching from a newly designed pad at Starbase. The company said the primary goal is to demonstrate the new ship, booster, engines and pad hardware in flight for the first time. (spacex.com) May 12 marked SpaceX’s formal introduction of Starship V3. In an update that day, the company said the third generation incorporates lessons from years of testing and development and is aimed at “full and rapid reuse.” SpaceX said the booster now has three grid fins instead of four, each fin is 50% larger, and the fuel transfer system has been redesigned to allow all 33 Raptor engines to start simultaneously. (spacex.com) ### What exactly is different about this version? Starship V3 includes a clean-sheet redesign of propulsion systems, according to SpaceX. The company said the changes increase propellant tank volume, introduce a new Raptor startup method and improve the reaction control system used for steering in flight. It also said fluid and electrical systems in the aft section were rerouted to reduce enclosed volumes that could trap leaking propellant. (spacex.com) Super Heavy V3 also changes how the booster handles separation and recovery. SpaceX said the grid fin shafts and actuators were moved inside the main fuel tank for protection, while an integrated hot stage replaces the earlier single-use protective interstage. The company said those changes are intended to support future lift and catch operations, though not on this flight. (spacex.com) ### What will SpaceX try to do during the mission? The booster is scheduled to attempt launch, ascent, stage separation, a boostback burn and a landing burn to an offshore point in the Gulf of America. SpaceX said that because this is the first flight of a significantly redesigned booster, it will not try to return to the launch site for a catch. (spacex.com) The upper stage is set to carry out several in-space and reentry tests. SpaceX said Starship will attempt to deploy 20 Starlink simulators and two modified Starlink satellites, which are meant to test hardware planned for Starlink V3. The company said the two modified satellites will also try to scan Starship’s heat shield and send imagery to operators as SpaceX works on techniques for future returns to the launch site. (spacex.com) ### How much of this flight is about heat-shield testing? SpaceX said several tiles on the ship have been painted white to simulate missing tiles and serve as imaging targets. The company also said one heat-shield tile has been intentionally removed to measure aerodynamic loads on adjacent tiles during reentry. A single Raptor engine relight in space is also planned. (spacex.com) Flight 11 provided the baseline for those tests. On October 13, 2025, SpaceX said Starship reached its planned velocity and trajectory, deployed eight Starlink simulators, relit a Raptor engine in space and completed a soft splashdown in the Indian Ocean after gathering heat-shield data during reentry. ### What should viewers watch for on Thursday? (spacex.com) The Federal Aviation Administration’s operations advisory for May 21 listed a “STARSHIP FLIGHT 12 LAUNCH” event and showed planned airspace impacts extending into the evening. SpaceX said its webcast will begin about 45 minutes before liftoff on its website and on X. If the countdown holds, the next public milestone is the opening of the 5:30 p.m. (spacex.com) CT launch window from Starbase on Thursday, May 21. (fly.faa.gov)