The SpaceX Starship V3 is seen docked at on a launch pad at Starbase on May 21, 2026 in Boca Chica Beach, Texas. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s reusable rocket company has spent more than $15 billion on its Starship program, according to filings tied to its initial public offering (IPO) on the U.S. stock market. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
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SpaceX has scrubbed a launch attempt for the latest version of its Starship launch system. It will now target Friday evening for a launch from the company’s Starbase facility in South Texas.
The mission, Starship Flight 12, is now scheduled to launch during a 90-minute window opening at 6:30 p.m. EDT on Friday, May 22.
It was postponed seconds before launch on Thursday, May 21. Elon Musk, SpaceX CEO, commented on X that “the hydraulic pin holding the tower arm in place did not retract.”
The flight will mark the first launch of Starship V3, with upgraded versions of both the Starship upper stage and the Super Heavy booster. Starship V3 is the tallest and most powerful rocket ever built, but investors will be watching to see how it performs ahead of SpaceX’s IPO in June, announced on Wednesday, May 20. SpaceX’s IPO valuation could reach a record-breaking $1.75 to $2 trillion, according to multiple reports.
The launch window opens at 6:30 p.m. EDT (local time 5:30 p.m. CDT) on Friday, May 22, from SpaceX’s newly upgraded launch pad at Starbase. Launch timing remains subject to technical checks and weather conditions, meaning delays are possible.
The launch will be streamed live on SpaceX.com, YouTube and X from about 45 minutes before the launch.
The mission will mark the debut of upgraded versions of both elements of the launch system — the Starship spacecraft itself and the Super Heavy booster beneath it. The booster will fly using the latest generation of SpaceX’s Raptor engines, with all 33 expected to ignite during ascent.
Unlike several recent Starship test flights, however, this mission will not attempt a dramatic return-to-launch-site catch using the tower’s giant mechanical “chopstick” arms. Instead, SpaceX plans for Super Heavy to make a controlled splashdown in the Gulf of America.
After reaching space, Starship is expected to release 22 Starlink simulators designed to mimic the size and shape of SpaceX’s next-generation satellites.
Two of those payloads will carry out imaging experiments focused on Starship’s heat shield, sending photographs and engineering data back to mission controllers. To aid those inspections, some heat shield tiles have been deliberately painted white to imitate visible damage and provide tracking targets for onboard cameras and sensors.
Engineers have also intentionally removed a single thermal protection tile entirely — a high-risk test intended to reveal how surrounding tiles behave under the extreme heating and aerodynamic stress of reentry.
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
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