SpaceX is targeting May 19 for the first launch of Starship V3, a debut flight that would send the company’s newest version of the giant rocket off the pad from Starbase in South Texas. The launch window opens at 6:30 p.m. EDT and runs for 90 minutes.
The flight will be Starship’s 12th overall, but the first for V3. SpaceX says the vehicle is powered by the V3 Raptor and is flying with major changes to both stages, including a redesigned Super Heavy booster and a clean-sheet propulsion system for the Ship upper stage.
The numbers alone show how much is riding on this attempt. Starship is described by SpaceX as the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built, and the company has cast V3 as a step toward the missions it wants to support beyond Earth, including future travel to the moon and Mars. The new version also marks the debut of Starbase’s Pad 2, which SpaceX says can fuel Starship faster.
On the booster, SpaceX has moved to three grid fins from the original four. The company says each fin is 50% larger and significantly stronger, with a new catch point and a different clocking on the booster to help with vehicle lift and catch operations. SpaceX also said the fins were lowered to reduce heat exposure from Starship’s engines during hot-staging, the handoff between the booster and the Ship upper stage.
That handoff has also changed. The hot stage ring is now integrated into Super Heavy rather than being discarded during flight, and the booster’s fuel transfer tube has been completely redesigned to a size roughly comparable to a Falcon 9 first stage. SpaceX says the new tube lets all 33 engines start up together and supports faster, more reliable flip maneuvers.
The Ship upper stage has its own set of updates, including a clean-sheet redesign of its propulsion system. SpaceX says the changes increase propellant tank volume, improve the reaction control system used for steering in flight and reduce contained volumes in the aft end of the vehicle that could trap propellant leakage. The upper stage also has propellant feed connections intended to support off-Earth fuel transfer.
For SpaceX, the open question is not whether this launch is routine. It is whether the first Starship V3 flight can turn a long series of hardware changes into a clean test. A launch on May 19 would give the company its clearest look yet at whether the new booster, the revised upper stage and the faster-fueling Pad 2 work together as designed.
