Image: SpaceX
SpaceX has officially begun prelaunch testing on its next-generation Starship V3 design, marking the company’s biggest step yet toward the rocket’s debut flight. The company confirmed that Booster 18 — the first Super Heavy V3 booster — is now undergoing testing at Starbase. “Booster 18, the first Super Heavy V3, is beginning prelaunch testing. The first operations will test the booster’s redesigned propellant systems and its structural strength,” SpaceX said in a post on X.
The new booster is set to support SpaceX’s first Starship V3 flight, which will follow last month’s historic Starship Flight 11. That mission achieved all of its objectives and officially retired the V2 rocket design, paving the way for the V3 architecture to replace it moving forward. With V2 now phased out entirely, SpaceX is focused on preparing Starship V3 for its inaugural test flight — which could still happen before the end of 2025 if everything stays on track.
Image: SpaceX
For now, SpaceX hasn’t provided a target date for the next Starship launch attempt. Preparation typically ramps up quickly once boosters begin propellant loading and structural qualification runs, but the timeline will depend heavily on data collected from these early trials.
Elon Musk previously said Starship V3 will see heavy flight activity in 2026, underscoring just how central the new design will be to SpaceX’s push toward high-cadence Starship missions. The company is already preparing new infrastructure to support that increase. Earlier this week, SpaceX shared a look at the new Starship launch pads under construction in Florida. According to the company’s Vice President of Launch, Kiko Dontchev, Starship V3 is expected to fly from one of these pads shortly after its debut flight test.
All signs point to SpaceX moving quickly as it transitions to the Starship V3 era — a design expected to deliver major performance upgrades and support the high-volume launch schedule needed for missions to orbit, the Moon, and eventually Mars.
