SpaceX fires up 33-engine Starship V3 booster, eyes May flight

SpaceX completed a full 33-engine static-fire of the Starship/Super Heavy V3 booster at Starbase, signaling readiness for Flight 12 and a target May 15 test flight; the 400+foot booster can lift more than 100 tons to low Earth orbit and is intended to support NASA’s Artemis program, with Artemis 3 planned for late 2027 (potentially with Starship and Blue Moon) and Artemis 4 in 2028; Flight 12 is currently suborbital and must prove orbital capability, in-space refueling, and a life-support system before a crewed lunar landing.