SpaceX has announced that its upgraded Starship V3 megarocket is scheduled to make its debut launch on May 19, marking the first flight of the company’s latest and most advanced deep-space vehicle.

The launch is planned from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in South Texas during a 90-minute window opening at 6:30 p.m. EDT (2230 GMT; 5:30 p.m. local time), News.Az reports, citing Space.com.

The mission will be the 12th overall test flight of Starship, the largest and most powerful rocket ever built, but the first using the new Version 3 configuration, which includes a range of design upgrades aimed at improving performance and reusability.

Among the changes to the Super Heavy booster are larger and stronger grid fins used to guide the rocket back to Earth for recovery. The new version features three fins instead of four, with each fin reportedly 50% larger than those used previously.

“These fins include a new catch point and have been re-clocked on the booster to support vehicle lift and catch operations,” SpaceX said in an update. “They have also been lowered to reduce heat exposure from Starship’s engines during hot-staging.”

SpaceX has also redesigned the booster’s hot-stage section, which connects the Super Heavy rocket to the Ship upper stage. Unlike previous versions, the hot stage is now integrated into the booster and will no longer be discarded during flight.

The Ship upper stage has undergone extensive modifications as well, including what SpaceX described as a “clean-sheet redesign” of its propulsion system. The updates introduce a new Raptor engine startup method, larger propellant tank capacity and improved flight steering systems.

According to the company, the redesign also reduces areas where leaking propellant could accumulate in the rear section of the vehicle.

Another major addition is a new propellant feed system designed to support fuel transfers in space — a capability considered essential for future long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars.

SpaceX views Starship as the centerpiece of its ambitions for lunar exploration and eventual human missions to Mars.

News.Az 

By Nijat Babayev