SpaceX Preps Starship V3 for May 21 Flight 12 Megarocket Test

SpaceX plans to launch the Starship Flight 12 test of the V3 design from Starbase on May 21 within a 90‑minute window opening at 6:30 p.m. EDT. Flight 12 will be the first Starship V3 test from Pad 2 and features a redesigned booster that will water‑land off the Gulf of Mexico, while the Ship upper stage conducts a long suborbital flight and deploys 22 dummy Starlink satellites before reentry. The mission is expected to last a little over an hour, with a backup launch date possible on May 22 if weather or technical issues delay the start.