SpaceX Targets May 19 Launch of Upgraded Starship Version 3

SpaceX is targeting a May 19 launch for the next test flight of its Starship megarocket, the company announced. m. ET from the company's facility near the U.S.-Mexico border in South Texas. If needed, a backup opportunity exists on May 20. The flight will be Starship's 12th overall and its first in more than seven months, following the previous test in October 2025.

It marks the debut of Version 3, described as the largest and most powerful iteration yet. The company has incorporated dozens of design changes intended to support orbital refueling, rapid reusability and long-duration spaceflight. Version 3 features a completely redesigned propulsion system on the upper stage, a new fuel transfer system the size of a Falcon 9 first stage, and upgraded Raptor engines.

Sea-level Raptors now produce 250 tons of thrust, up from 230 tons, while vacuum Raptors reach 275 tons. Engine mass has been reduced by about 105 kilograms per unit. The booster incorporates a grid fin redesign, dropping from four fins to three that are 50 percent larger, stronger and repositioned.

An integrated hot staging system removes the previous disposable shield, and the interstage actuators retract after separation. The company also upgraded the launch pad with a larger propellant farm, electromechanical chopstick actuators and a bidirectional flame diverter.

During the mission the upper stage is scheduled to deploy 22 dummy Starlink satellites. Two of those satellites will carry cameras to scan the heat shield, which includes several tiles painted white to simulate damage. Engineers plan to remove one heat shield tile entirely and conduct aggressive maneuvers to test the structural limits of the rear flaps.

The booster will not attempt a catch at the launch site. Instead it will perform a controlled landing in the Gulf of Mexico. The full test flight is expected to last about 65 minutes. The company has described the schedule as dynamic and subject to change.

Starship stands more than 400 feet tall when fully stacked and consists of a Super Heavy booster powered by 33 Raptor engines and an upper stage that carries crew and cargo. The vehicle is designed to be fully reusable, carrying large payloads to orbit, the Moon and eventually Mars.

Both stages are intended to return to Earth for refurbishment and reuse. NASA is relying on a version of Starship as the lunar lander for its Artemis program. The space agency has been monitoring the vehicle's progress as it works toward crewed Moon landings.

The company has also indicated plans to build a lunar city before shifting primary focus to Mars missions. Previous Starship tests have shown both successes and setbacks. Across 11 flights the vehicle has twice deployed mock Starlink satellites, reused a booster twice and caught a returning booster three times using mechanical arms.

The upper stage has repeatedly flown suborbital trajectories and landed in the Indian Ocean. Five tests occurred in 2025, with the final two in August and October deemed successful.

3 The extensive list of changes aims to enable several core functions. These include full and rapid reuse, in-space propellant transfer between vehicles, faster deployment of Starlink satellites and support for sending people and cargo to the Moon and Mars.

New systems address long orbital coasts, cryogenic fluid management and ship-to-ship docking with four added docking drogues. Avionics upgrades include about 60 custom units capable of delivering nine megawatts of peak power, a multi-sensor navigation system and radio-frequency sensors to measure propellant levels in microgravity.

The vehicle will carry roughly 50 onboard camera views and maintain 480 Mbps Starlink connectivity.

“Together, these new elements are designed to enable a step-change in Starship capabilities and aim to unlock the vehicle’s core functions, including full and rapid reuse, in-space propellant transfer, deployment of Starlink satellites and orbital data centers, and the ability to send people and cargo to the Moon and Mars.”

The company has not flown Starship at all in 2026 until this planned test. The seven-month gap represents the longest interval between missions since the rocket's debut in April 2023.