SpaceX reschedules Starship Flight 12 for May 21 after May 20 operations canceled

SpaceX pushed back Starship Flight 12 again after scrubbing May 20 operations and now says the next launch attempt is set for Thursday, May 21, from Starbase in South Texas. The company’s mission page says the launch window opens at 5:30 p.m. Central Time and that its webcast will begin about 45 minutes before liftoff. The delay keeps Flight 12 as the first Starship test of 2026 and the debut of SpaceX’s latest Starship V3 configuration, which Reuters described on May 19 as a key step in the company’s next round of testing. AccuWeather and other outlets had already shifted their launch timing to May 21 after earlier target dates moved. (spacex.com) ### Why did the May 20 attempt not happen? USA Today reported on May 20 that Starship was “not launching today” and that SpaceX had delayed the mission by another 24 hours, moving Flight 12 to May 21. SpaceX’s own launch page now lists the mission as preparing to launch “as soon as Thursday, May 21,” replacing the prior Wednesday target. (accuweather.com) Tesla Oracle reported on May 19 that SpaceX had first moved the mission from May 19 to May 20 and then to May 21 as launch preparations continued. That report said the vehicle had been stacked for launch preparation at Starbase. ### What exactly is Flight 12 testing? (usatoday.com) SpaceX’s mission page says Flight 12 is the twelfth flight test of Starship and that, like prior developmental flights, the schedule remains dynamic. Space.com described the vehicle now assigned to the mission as SpaceX’s “newest Starship design,” referring to the Starship V3 variant. (teslaoracle.com) Reuters reported on May 19 that the upgraded Starship V3 was ready for its debut launch. The flight comes after an eight-month gap since the previous Starship test, according to AccuWeather’s launch preview. ### Which hardware is flying this mission? (spacex.com) Tesla Oracle identified the launch stack as Ship 39 and Super Heavy Booster 19. The same report said Booster 19 completed a full-duration, full-thrust static fire with all 33 Raptor engines last week, marking its second 33-engine static fire after an earlier April test. (accuweather.com) SpaceX has not, in the mission page excerpt surfaced in search, detailed every vehicle-level change in V3, but outside coverage has consistently framed this launch as the first flight of the upgraded version. That makes the booster test history notable because the static fire is one of the last major preflight checks before a launch attempt. (teslaoracle.com) ### When is the next launch window? SpaceX says the launch window for Flight 12 opens at 5:30 p.m. CT on Thursday, May 21. AccuWeather reported the same target time, and Space.com’s live updates page also says SpaceX is targeting a Thursday, May 21 launch for Starship V3. The webcast is scheduled to start about 45 minutes before liftoff, according to SpaceX. (spacex.com) Spectators in South Texas have been tracking the shifting schedule closely, with local coverage in the Caller-Times previously outlining viewing plans around South Padre Island and the Starbase area. ### Where can people follow the next step? (spacex.com) SpaceX said viewers can watch the Flight 12 webcast on its website, on X through @SpaceX, and on the X TV app. The company also cautioned that, as with all developmental testing, the schedule is subject to change. Thursday, May 21 is now the next concrete milestone: SpaceX’s posted window opens at 5:30 p.m. (spacex.com) CT, and the mission would mark the first Starship launch attempt of 2026 using the V3 vehicle.