Flight 12

Mission

Flight 12 on Starship V3. Fri 22 May 2026, 22:30:24 UTC. Reported outcome: Success. Launch site: Orbital Launch Pad 2. Source: Launch Library 2.

12th test flight of the two-stage Starship launch vehicle. Maiden Flight of Starship V3. The flight test’s primary goal will be to demonstrate each of these new pieces in the flight environment for the first time, with each element of the Starship architecture featuring significant redesigns to enable full and rapid reuse that incorporate learnings from years of development and test. The Starship upper stage will target multiple in-space and reentry objectives, including a payload deployment of 20 Starlink simulators, similar in size to next-generation Starlink V3 satellites, and two specially modified Starlink satellites. The two modified satellites will test hardware planned for Starlink V3 and will attempt to scan Starship’s heat shield and transmit imagery down to operators to test methods of analyzing Starship’s heat shield readiness for return to launch site on future missions. Several tiles on Starship have been painted white to simulate missing tiles and serve as imaging targets in the test. The Starlink simulators will be on the same suborbital trajectory as Starship. A relight of a single Raptor engine while in space is also planned. For Starship entry, a single heat shield tile has been intentionally removed to measure the aerodynamic load differences on adjacent tiles when there is a tile missing. Finally, the ship will perform experimental actions tested on previous flight tests, including a maneuver to intentionally stress the structural limits of the vehicle’s rear flaps and a dynamic banking maneuver to mimic the trajectory that future missions returning to Starbase will fly.

Mission type

Test Flight

Orbit

Suborbital

Programmes: SpaceX Starship

Launch timeline

Times are relative to liftoff.

1. T-50 minFri 22 May, 23:40 CEST

   GO for Prop Load

   Launch director verifies go for propellant load

2. T-38 min 53 sFri 22 May, 23:51 CEST

   Stage 2 LOX Load

   Start of liquid oxygen loading in the second stage

3. T-35 minFri 22 May, 23:55 CEST

   Stage 1 LOX Load

   Start of liquid oxygen loading in the first stage

4. T-34 min 43 sFri 22 May, 23:55 CEST

   Stage 1 LNG Load

   Start of liquid methane loading in the first stage

5. T-32 min 59 sFri 22 May, 23:57 CEST

   Stage 2 LNG Load

   Start of liquid methane loading in the second stage

6. T-21 min 30 sSat 23 May, 00:08 CEST

   Engine Chill

   Start of engine chilling

7. T-2 min 50 sSat 23 May, 00:27 CEST

   Stage 1 Propellant Load Complete

   End of propellant loading in the first stage

8. T-2 min 10 sSat 23 May, 00:28 CEST

   Stage 2 Propellant Load Complete

   End of propellant loading in the second stage

9. T-30 sSat 23 May, 00:29 CEST

   GO for Launch

   Launch director verifies go for launch

10. T-17 sSat 23 May, 00:30 CEST

    Flame Deflector Activation

    Activation of the flame deflector ahead of engine ignition

11. T-3 sSat 23 May, 00:30 CEST

    Ignition

    Start of the engine ignition sequence

12. T-0Sat 23 May, 00:30 CEST

    Excitement Guaranteed

    Excitement guaranteed

13. T-0Sat 23 May, 00:30 CEST

    Liftoff

    First upwards movement of the rocket

14. T+45 sSat 23 May, 00:31 CEST

    Max-Q

    Maximum dynamic pressure

15. T+2 min 22 sSat 23 May, 00:32 CEST

    MECO

    Cut-off of the main engine

16. T+2 min 24 sSat 23 May, 00:32 CEST

    Stage 2 Separation

    Separation of the second stage from the first

17. T+2 min 30 sSat 23 May, 00:32 CEST

    Booster Boostback Burn Startup

    Start of the booster boostback burn

18. T+3 min 30 sSat 23 May, 00:33 CEST

    Booster Boostback Burn Shutdown

    End of the booster boostback burn

19. T+6 min 34 sSat 23 May, 00:36 CEST

    Stage 1 Landing Burn

    Start of the first stage landing burn

20. T+6 min 59 sSat 23 May, 00:37 CEST

    Stage 1 Landing

    Landing of the first stage

21. T+8 min 11 sSat 23 May, 00:38 CEST

    SECO-1

    First cut-off of the second engine

22. T+17 min 37 sSat 23 May, 00:48 CEST

    Payload Deployment Sequence Start

    Start of the payload deployment sequence

23. T+27 min 15 sSat 23 May, 00:57 CEST

    Payload Deployment Sequence End

    End of the payload deployment sequence.

24. T+38 min 37 sSat 23 May, 01:09 CEST

    SEB-2

    2nd burn of the second engine

25. T+47 min 47 sSat 23 May, 01:18 CEST

    Atmospheric Entry

    Start of the atmospheric re-entry

26. T+1 h 2 min 29 sSat 23 May, 01:32 CEST

    Starship Transonic

    Starship passing through the transonic regime

27. T+1 h 3 min 8 sSat 23 May, 01:33 CEST

    Starship Subsonic

    Starship reaches a subsonic velocity

28. T+1 h 5 min 6 sSat 23 May, 01:35 CEST

    Starship Landing Burn

    Start of the Starship orbital stage landing burn

29. T+1 h 5 min 8 sSat 23 May, 01:35 CEST

    Landing Flip

    Flip maneuver to set the orientation for landing

30. T+1 h 5 min 17 sSat 23 May, 01:35 CEST

    Starship Landing

    Landing of the Starship orbital stage

31. T+1 h 5 min 24 sSat 23 May, 01:35 CEST

    Starship Landing

    Landing of the Starship orbital stage

32. T+1 h 5 min 26 sSat 23 May, 01:35 CEST

    Starship Landing

    Landing of the Starship orbital stage

Slip history

Changes recorded by Space Right Now

No changes since we started tracking on Sat 10 Oct 2026, 11:18 UTC.

Launch pad

Orbital Launch Pad 2

SpaceX Starbase, TX, USA (US)

Coordinates: 25.99677, -97.15799