SpaceX is gearing up for the next test flight of its Starship rocket, with liftoff targeting Thursday, May 21.
The company confirmed Monday that Starship and its Super Heavy booster have already been rolled out to the launch pad at Starbase in Texas for final testing and preparations. The launch window opens at 5:30 p.m. CT, with a live webcast starting about 45 minutes before liftoff on SpaceX.com and on X.
Flight 12 will be the debut of a significantly redesigned vehicle. Both Starship and the Super Heavy booster have been upgraded, along with a new version of the Raptor engine and a newly designed launch pad. SpaceX says the primary goal is simply to get all these new components flying together for the first time.
Because this is a heavily redesigned vehicle, the booster will not attempt to fly back to the launch site for a catch this time around. Instead, it will aim for a controlled landing burn in the Gulf of America offshore.
The Starship upper stage has a packed test agenda. It will deploy 20 Starlink simulator satellites along with two specially modified Starlink satellites that will test hardware planned for the next-generation V3 Starlink constellation. Those two satellites will also attempt to scan and photograph Starship’s heat shield during reentry and beam the imagery back to operators on the ground.
SpaceX is also deliberately pushing the vehicle to its limits during this flight, including a maneuver designed to stress the rear flaps and a banking maneuver that mimics the trajectory future missions returning to Starbase will fly.
SpaceX noted the schedule is subject to change, so keep an eye on its X account for updates.
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