SpaceX is preparing to launch Starship Flight 12 from Starbase in South Texas, with liftoff scheduled during a window opening at 5:30 p.m. CT on Thursday, May 21, 2026. For India-based viewers, that is 4:00 a.m. IST on Friday, May 22, 2026.

The uncrewed test flight will mark the debut of Starship Version 3, the next major redesign of SpaceX’s fully reusable rocket system. Starship includes the Super Heavy booster and the Starship upper-stage vehicle, which SpaceX is developing to carry crew and cargo for future missions to the Moon, Mars and orbit.

What Is Different About Starship Flight 12?

Flight 12 is expected to be the first launch of Starship V3 and its upgraded Super Heavy booster. Reuters reported that the new version includes redesigned Raptor engines intended to produce more thrust from a lighter design.

The rocket is about 407 feet tall, and the mission will follow a suborbital test path. The Super Heavy booster is expected to separate and splash down in the Gulf of Mexico, while the Starship upper stage is planned to splash down in the Indian Ocean more than an hour after liftoff.

Starlink Test Payloads and Splashdown Plan

Spaceflight Now reported that Flight 12 is expected to deploy 20 Starlink simulator satellites on a suborbital path, beginning about 17 minutes after launch. Two modified Starlink units are also expected to help test heat-shield imaging during flight.

SpaceX is not expected to attempt a launch-tower catch for this first V3 flight. Instead, the booster will target an offshore Gulf splashdown about seven minutes after liftoff, while Ship 39 continues toward its Indian Ocean splashdown.

The mission matters because it combines a new Starship design, upgraded booster hardware, Starlink-related test objectives and reusability data that could shape SpaceX’s next phase of launch development.