SpaceX Starship V3 Completes Successful First Flight as Flight 12 Mission Reaches Indian Ocean
Summary: SpaceX successfully launched Starship Version 3 for the first time on May 22 at 6:30 a.m. EDT (2230 GMT), using the brand new Orbital Launch Pad 2 (OLP-2) at Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas. The Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico and Indian Ocean respectively after approximately 90 minutes of flight. This was the 12th integrated flight test of the Starship program and the first flight of the V3 configuration.
Flight Profile
- Launch time: May 22, 2026, 6:30 p.m. EDT (2230 GMT)
- Launch site: SpaceX Starbase, Boca Chica, Texas — Orbital Launch Pad 2 (OLP-2)
- Mission: Flight 12 (IFT-12)
- Super Heavy booster: Booster 19 (first V3 flight)
- Starship upper stage: Ship 39 (first V3 flight)
- Flight duration: Approximately 90 minutes
- Booster landing zone: Gulf of Mexico (splashdown, no recovery attempt)
- Starship landing zone: Indian Ocean (controlled splashdown, no recovery attempt)
V3 Configuration Upgrades
Starship V3 represents a dramatic overhaul from the V2 configuration:
- Engines: 33 Raptor 3 engines with fully redesigned ignition system, thrust approximately double that of V2, manufacturing cost reduced by ~75% per engine
- Height: Approximately 124.4 meters (V2 ~121 m), LEO payload capacity increased to over 100 tonnes
- Grid fins: Reduced from 4 to 3, each 50% larger, integrated inside the fuel tank to better withstand stage separation temperatures
- Thermal protection: Super Heavy booster nose cone directly exposed to Starship engine exhaust during separation, relying on tank pressure and steel structural protection
- Fuel lines: Redesigned for rapid synchronized startup of all 33 engines
- Launch pad: First use of the newly designed OLP-2
Payloads and Test Objectives
The mission carried:
- 20 Starlink simulator satellites (testing Starship upper stage payload deployment capability)
- 2 modified Starlink satellites (imaging tests scanning Starship heat shield)
- An in-orbit engine reignition demonstration at approximately T+39 minutes
Scrub and Retry: May 21 to May 22
The first launch attempt on May 21 was aborted at T-40 seconds in the countdown due to a hydraulic pin failure on the launch tower arm. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk posted on social media: "The hydraulic pin holding the tower arm in place did not retract." The team repaired overnight and successfully launched on May 22.