TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Aerospace company SpaceX has set the debut launch of Starship version 3 for May 19, 2026, from the Starbase facility in South Texas. The launch time is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time (ET), or around 5:30 a.m. Indonesian time (WIB) on May 20, 2026.
In an announcement on May 12, SpaceX mentioned that Starship version 3 will undergo a suborbital test flight titled Flight 12. Previously, the company conducted a wet dress rehearsal by fueling the upper stage of Starship and the Super Heavy booster on the launch pad.
This latest version brings several improvements, including upgraded Raptor engines and the use of a new launch pad at Starbase. SpaceX stated that the primary goal of this test flight is to demonstrate each new component in a flight environment for the first time.
"With each element of the Starship architecture featuring significant redesigns to enable full and rapid reuse that incorporate learnings from years of development and test," SpaceX was quoted as saying by Space News on May 13, 3026.
In this mission, the Super Heavy booster will not return to the launch site and will perform a soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. Meanwhile, the upper stage of Starship will release 22 mass simulators mimicking next-generation Starlink satellites.
Two of these carry imaging payloads to scan the vehicle's heat shield. SpaceX mentioned that these tests aim to ensure the thermal protection's readiness to support reentry into the atmosphere and landing in future missions.
Starship will also reignite one Raptor engine in space, as in previous flights. During reentry, the vehicle will perform intentionally designed maneuvers to stress the system and simulate future landings.
The company had previously estimated that Flight 12 could take place as early as January 2026. However, the schedule was pushed back after the Super Heavy booster, which was being prepared for this mission, suffered damage during testing in November.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk had previously stated at the end of January that the launch would occur approximately six weeks later. The schedule was delayed again in March and April without any detailed explanations from the company.
Starship version 3 is crucial for SpaceX as it will be used for orbital missions, including launching new-generation Starlink satellites and serving as a lunar lander in NASA's Artemis program. "This is really going to be our production rocket," said SpaceX Vice President of Launch Kiko Dontchev in a conference last November.
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