Starship Flight 12 set for May 19; SpaceX plans extensive onboard imaging

SpaceX is targeting Tuesday, May 19, for Starship’s 12th flight test from Starbase, Texas, with the launch window opening at 5:30 p.m. Central time, according to the company’s mission page. The test is set to debut the next generation of Starship and Super Heavy vehicles, along with the next evolution of the Raptor engine and a newly designed launch pad at Starbase. (spacex.com) SpaceX says the mission is a first flight for “significantly redesigned” hardware intended to support full and rapid reuse. Federal air traffic advisories list a primary window on May 19 and a backup opportunity on May 20. ### Why is Flight 12 different from earlier Starship tests? May 12 marked SpaceX’s formal introduction of Starship V3, which the company described as the third generation of Starship and Super Heavy. SpaceX said the vehicles incorporate “learnings from years of flight testing and development,” and that the booster, ship and pad all include redesigns being tested together for the first time. The booster changes include three grid fins instead of four, fins that are 50% larger, a redesigned fuel transfer tube for all 33 engines, and a shift from one quick disconnect to two physically separated connection points, according to SpaceX’s V3 update. (spacex.com) The upper stage also received what SpaceX called a “clean-sheet redesign” of its propulsion systems, with changes aimed at a new Raptor startup method, larger propellant volume and revised flight-control hardware. ### What does SpaceX mean by “looking at itself” during flight? SpaceX said Flight 12 will carry 22 Starlink simulators, similar in size to next-generation Starlink satellites. (spacex.com) The company said the last two simulators will scan Starship’s heat shield and transmit imagery to operators as a test of methods for assessing heat-shield readiness for future returns to the launch site. Several heat shield tiles have been painted white to simulate missing tiles and act as imaging targets, SpaceX said. The company also said one heat shield tile has been intentionally removed to measure aerodynamic load differences on adjacent tiles during entry when a tile is missing. (spacex.com) ### What else is SpaceX trying to learn on this mission? The Starship upper stage is also scheduled to attempt a relight of a single Raptor engine in space, according to the mission description. SpaceX said the ship will perform a maneuver intended to stress the structural limits of the rear flaps and a dynamic banking maneuver meant to mimic the trajectory of future missions returning to Starbase. (spacex.com) The booster’s main objectives are a successful launch, ascent, stage separation, boostback burn and landing burn at an offshore landing point in the Gulf of America, SpaceX said. (spacex.com) Because this is the first test flight of the redesigned booster, the company said it will not attempt a return to the launch site for catch. ### Where does the May 19 date come from, and how firm is it? SpaceX’s launch page says Starship is preparing to fly “as soon as Tuesday, May 19,” and warns that the schedule is dynamic. The company said its webcast will begin about 30 minutes before liftoff and will be available on its website and on X. (spacex.com) The Federal Aviation Administration’s advisory database lists “SPACEX STARSHIP FLT 12, STARBASE TX” with a primary window of May 19 from 2230 UTC to 0033 UTC and a backup window on May 20 over the same period. That corresponds to a 5:30 p.m. Central opening on May 19 in South Texas. (spacex.com) ### Why is SpaceX talking about more launch sites now? On May 12, Elon Musk said on X that SpaceX is scouting potential U.S. and overseas locations for future “spaceports,” according to Reuters. Reuters reported that SpaceX also said it is targeting “thousands of flights per year” for Starship and that such a cadence would require launches from “many different locations.” (spacex.com) Reuters also reported that Flight 12 is scheduled as soon as May 19 and will debut next-generation versions of Starship, the Super Heavy booster and Raptor engines. (fly.faa.gov) SpaceX currently flies Starship tests from Starbase and is building additional infrastructure in Florida, Reuters said. May 19 is the next concrete milestone. SpaceX says the launch window opens at 5:30 p.m. CT from Starbase, and FAA advisories show May 20 as the backup date if the first attempt slips. (spacex.com) (money.usnews.com)