SpaceX Starship Flight 12 launch updates: 1st Starship V3 prepares for debut liftoff today

Refresh 2026-05-21T11:53:53.864Z Starship V3 launching today Starship stands on the Starbase launch pad 2 ahead of Flight 12. (Image credit: SpaceX) The sun has risen on SpaceX's newest Starship rocket, and the company is progressing toward a launch this evening during a window that opens at 6:30 p.m. EDT (2230 GMT). The 1.5-hour window is the first time this year that SpaceX will attempt to launch its Starship prototype rocket, and today's V3 variant is the first mission for the new, upgraded build. Today's suborbital flight is expected to last about an hour. Neither the Super Heavy booster or Ship upper stage will attempt recoveries back at SpaceX's Starbase facility. Instead, both will perform landing burns for soft splashdowns at sea. Coverage of today's launch is scheduled to begin at 5:45 p.m. EDT (2145 GMT). You can watch it live here at Space.com courtesy of SpaceX , or directly via the company's website ; coverage will start about 45 minutes before liftoff. 2026-05-20T19:34:01.713Z SpaceX completes Starship V3 wet dress rehearsal SpaceX stacked Starship V3 ahead of Flight 12 on May 19, 2026. (Image credit: SpaceX) The public beach next to SpaceX's Starbase launch and test facility was closed today (May 20), between about 6:30 a.m. EDT (1030 GMT) and 2 p.m. EDT (1830 GMT), while the company completed a wet dress rehearsal on the rocket and ground systems. Ahead of tomorrow's scheduled 6:30 p.m. …