Starship | Flight 12

12th test flight of the two-stage Starship launch vehicle. Maiden Flight of Starship V3. The flight test’s primary goal will be to demonstrate each of these new pieces in the 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. The Starship upper stage will target multiple in-space and reentry objectives, including a payload deployment of 20 Starlink simulators, similar in size to next-generation Starlink V3 satellites, and two specially modified Starlink satellites. The two modified satellites will test hardware planned for Starlink V3 and will attempt to scan Starship’s heat shield and transmit imagery down to operators to test methods of analyzing Starship’s heat shield readiness for return to launch site on future missions. Several tiles on Starship have been painted white to simulate missing tiles and serve as imaging targets in the test. The Starlink simulators will be on the same suborbital trajectory as Starship. A relight of a single Raptor engine while in space is also planned. For Starship entry, a single heat shield tile has been intentionally removed to measure the aerodynamic load differences on adjacent tiles when there is a tile missing. Finally, the ship will perform experimental actions tested on previous flight tests, including a maneuver to intentionally stress the structural limits of the vehicle’s rear flaps and a dynamic banking maneuver to mimic the trajectory that future missions returning to Starbase will fly.

Test Flight · Suborbital (Sub)

• Booster 19 · flight 1 · Ocean @ Gulf of Mexico · landing failed · zone record 18/22

• SpaceX Flight 12 — The Space Devs
• SpaceX - Starship - Starship Test Flight 12 - Pad 2 - Starbase, Texas - May 22, 2026 — SPACE AFFAIRS
• Watch Live: SpaceX Starship launches on 12th test flight — Spaceflight Now
• SpaceX Starship Flight 12 - Launch & Landing - LAUNCH STREAM — NASASpaceflight
• Starship's Twelfth Flight Test — SpaceX
• Watch the first Starship V3 launch for Flight 12! — Everyday Astronaut

1. T−50MGO for Prop Load
2. T−38M53SStage 2 LOX Load
3. T−35MStage 1 LOX Load
4. T−34M43SStage 1 LNG Load
5. T−32M59SStage 2 LNG Load
6. T−21M30SEngine Chill
7. T−2M50SStage 1 Propellant Load Complete
8. T−2M10SStage 2 Propellant Load Complete
9. T−30SGO for Launch
10. T−17SFlame Deflector Activation
11. T−3SIgnition
12. P0DLiftoff
13. P0DExcitement Guaranteed
14. T+45SMax-Q
15. T+2M22SMECO
16. T+2M24SStage 2 Separation
17. T+2M30SBooster Boostback Burn Startup
18. T+3M30SBooster Boostback Burn Shutdown
19. T+6M34SStage 1 Landing Burn
20. T+6M59SStage 1 Landing
21. T+8M11SSECO-1
22. T+17M37SPayload Deployment Sequence Start
23. T+27M15SPayload Deployment Sequence End
24. T+38M37SSEB-2
25. T+47M47SAtmospheric Entry
26. T+1H2M29SStarship Transonic
27. T+1H3M8SStarship Subsonic
28. T+1H5M6SStarship Landing Burn
29. T+1H5M8SLanding Flip
30. T+1H5M17SStarship Landing
31. T+1H5M24SStarship Landing
32. T+1H5M26SStarship Landing

• Successful liftoff and ascent of Starship and Super Heavy, placing Ship 39 on a valid suborbital trajectory

  Nosu · 5/23/2026 · source

• Liftoff.

  Cosmic_Penguin · 5/22/2026 · source

• Unofficial Re-stream by SPACE AFFAIRS has started

  LL2 · 5/22/2026 · source

• Updated launch weather, 85% GO.

  Cosmic_Penguin · 5/22/2026 · source

• Launch time is to the second.

  Cosmic_Penguin · 5/22/2026 · source

• Confirmed rescheduled for May 22.

  Cosmic_Penguin · 5/22/2026 · source

• Next attempt NET May 22.

  Cosmic_Penguin · 5/21/2026 · source

• Scrub for the day after hold at T-40.

  Cosmic_Penguin · 5/21/2026 · source

• Unofficial Re-stream by SPACE AFFAIRS has started

  LL2 · 5/21/2026 · source

• Now targeting May 21 at 23:30 UTC

  Cosmic_Penguin · 5/21/2026 · source