SpaceX on Tuesday completed the launch rehearsal for its giant rocket Starship which could possibly launch this week. The launch, reports say, could take place as early as May 15, marking the 12th test flight of the vehicle. Interestingly, the next mission will mark the debut of Starship’s Version 3 rocket which is slightly bigger and more powerful (thanks to the new V3 Raptor engines) than the previous iterations.
“Launch rehearsal complete. During a flight-like countdown, more than 5,000 metric tonnes (11+ million pounds) of propellant were loaded on the fully stacked Starship and Super Heavy V3 vehicles for the first time,” SpaceX shared on X.
Launch rehearsal complete. During a flight-like countdown, more than 5,000 metric tonnes (11+ million pounds) of propellant were loaded on the fully stacked Starship and Super Heavy V3 vehicles for the first time pic.twitter.com/e9oZlzc0yz
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 11, 2026
Last week, the company cleared the hurdle of a full-duration static test fire by successfully firing all 33 engines of the first stage Super Heavy Booster as it was anchored to the ground.
What to expect from SpaceX’s Starship flight 12?
Flight 12 will be the first Starship mission of 2026. The previous mission took place on October 2025, which was arguably the most successful flight of the rocket since April 2023, when it made its debut.
Like previous flights, the next one will also be suborbital but with higher stakes. Starship must prove that it is capable of big ticket missions and that it’s ready to support NASA‘s Artemis Program.
Starship’s slow development has been a concern for NASA, which is now strongly considering Blue Origin to help astronauts land on the Moon. In late 2027, the agency plans to launch Artemis III, which was initially a Moon landing mission but has been changed to a rendezvous mission with astronauts in Earth orbit.
During Artemis III, two spacecraft (one of which will be NASA’s Orion) will rendezvous and dock in Earth orbit to validate key technologies; with Blue Origin and SpaceX both as front runners. SpaceX has always endorsed Starship as the spacecraft that could take humans to the Moon and even Mars, whereas Blue Origin is hard at work with the Blue Moon lander set to make its debut soon. Notably, there’s a smaller version of the Blue Moon lander that is targeted for launch later this year.
Starship, as strong as its marketing has been, is yet to reach orbit, and flight 12 could provide it the necessary push. However, there are major hurdles this rocket needs to clear before being flight certified, such as in-orbit refuelling, recovery of both stages (since it’s supposed to be fully reusable) and installation of life support systems. Reports say NASA could go with one or both Starship and Blue Moon during Artemis III, but it all depends on how the companies progress in the coming months.
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