Starship flight 12 gets May 12 NOTAM

SpaceX’s next Starship launch just got its clearest public date yet. The FAA’s current operations advisory now shows Starship Flight 12 from Starbase, Texas on May 12, 2026, with a backup opportunity on May 13. That does not mean liftoff is locked — Starship schedules move all the time — but it does mean the mission has crossed from vague “mid-May” talk into an actual range-planning window. And for this flight, that matters more than usual, because Flight 12 is supposed to be the first outing for SpaceX’s Version 3 hardware. (fly.faa.gov) ### What is the FAA notice actually saying? The FAA advisory is basically an air-traffic planning document. It lists “SPACEX STARSHIP FLT 12, STARBASE TX” with a primary window on May 12 from 22:30Z to 00:33Z and a backup on May 13 in the same time slot. In South Texas, that translates to 5:30 p.m. to 7:33 p.m. CDT. These notices exist so airlines, pilots, and controllers can pla(fly.faa.gov)ch corridor. (fly.faa.gov) ### Does that mean SpaceX is definitely launching May 12? No — and this is the catch with every Starship date. A NOTAM-style planning window is a real signal, but it is not the same thing as a final go for launch. SpaceX still has to clear vehicle readiness, ground systems, weather, and range coordination. If any one of those slips, the date moves. That is normal for test flights(fly.faa.gov)nges are almost part of the program’s personality. (fly.faa.gov) ### Why is Flight 12 a bigger deal than a normal test? Because this is not just “the next one.” Multiple launch trackers and spaceflight outlets say Flight 12 is expected to be the first flight of the stretched Version 3 Starship upper stage, paired with new-generation hardware at the booster level as well. That makes this mission more like a platform upgrade than a routine repea(fly.faa.gov)e, Flight 12 looks more like the handoff into the next design generation. (msn.com) ### What changed in the hardware? The broad picture is straightforward. Version 3 is described as a taller, revised Starship with redesigned systems and Raptor 3 engines, aimed at better performance and eventually orbital operations and in-space refueling (msn.com) still learning how to build it. (msn.com) ### What about Booster 19 and Ship 39? Those are the vehicles tied to Flight 12 in public tracking. Reporting from late April said Ship 39 completed a full-duration static fire at Massey’s test site, and Booster 19 also completed a major static-fire campaign on(msn.com)fore the rocket is allowed to fly. (spaceexplored.com) ### Why does Pad 2 matter here? Flight 12 is also expected to launch from Starbase’s newer Pad 2. That adds another layer of significance, because SpaceX is not only introducing new flight hardware but also leaning on newer ground infrastructure. New rocket, new pad, new trajectory planning — each piece can work, but stacking them together raises the test complexity. (msn.com) ### So what should people watch next? Watch for the final licensing and range signals, and for whether SpaceX keeps May 12 on public schedules into next week. If the company holds that date, Flight 12 could mark the first real look at Starship V3 in the air. If it slips, the bigger story still holds — SpaceX is now close enough that federal airspace planners are putting specific windows on the board. (fly.faa.gov) ### Bottom line The news is not “Starship launches May 12, guaranteed.” The news is that the launch has moved into a concrete FAA planning window, and that window lines up with one of the most important Starship test flights yet — the first expected flight of Version 3 hardware. (fly.faa.gov)