SpaceX just launched Starship V3 — its most powerful megarocket yet — into space for the 1st time in spectacular Flight 12 test (video)
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SpaceX successfully launched Starship V3 on its first test flight (Flight 12) on May 22, 2026, from a new second pad at Starbase in South Texas. The 408-foot-tall next-generation rocket features a complete design overhaul over its V2 predecessor. Despite some hiccups — including one Raptor engine shutdown on the Super Heavy booster and one lost engine on the upper stage Ship 39 — the mission largely succeeded. The Super Heavy booster performed a planned splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico rather than a tower catch. Ship 39 deployed 22 payloads including 20 dummy Starlink satellites and 2 real Starlink spacecraft with imaging sensors to inspect heat shield tiles. The in-space engine relight test was skipped due to the lost engine. Ship completed reentry and a controlled ocean landing before toppling and exploding as planned. The flight is a key milestone toward NASA's Artemis program, which relies on Starship as a crewed lunar lander, with Artemis 3 targeted for mid-to-late 2027.
