SpaceX has scheduled its next Starship test mission for May 20 from Texas, with the flight set to debut the company’s upgraded V3 vehicle configuration. The upgraded system includes changes to the engines, vehicle structure, and heat protection tiles aimed at improving reliability and reuse. The mission will test satellite deployment and in-orbit engine relight while collecting detailed re-entry data during descent. If successful, the flight would move Starship closer to future commercial launches, including NASA-backed lunar missions.
The upcoming mission, officially called Starship Flight Test 12, is the first launch of SpaceX’s ‘Block 3’ or ‘V3’ Starship design, the most heavily redesigned version of the rocket system since the integrated flight campaign began in 2023. The launch is currently targeted for May 20 at around 5:30 PM local Texas time (4:00 AM IST, May 21) from Starbase, Texas. The mission will also become the first Starship launch conducted from Starbase’s second orbital launch pad, known as Pad 2.
Standing about 124 meters (around 408 feet) tall, the upgraded Starship system is currently the tallest and most powerful rocket ever built. The Super Heavy booster uses 33 next-generation Raptor 3 methane-fueled engines capable of generating nearly 80 meganewtons of thrust at liftoff, surpassing even NASA’s Saturn V Moon rocket. SpaceX has redesigned major systems across the vehicle, including lighter engine components, stronger internal structures, revised fuel plumbing, upgraded avionics, and improved thermal protection tiles intended to survive the extreme heat generated during atmospheric re-entry.
But despite all these upgrades and improvements, SpaceX also faced major setbacks during development last year. In late 2025, the company’s upgraded Starship V3 prototype booster, known as Booster 18, exploded during a cryogenic pressure test at Starbase, Texas.
Meanwhile, the upcoming mission will use Booster 19 and Ship 39, with SpaceX focusing heavily on collecting engineering data rather than attempting a full recovery. After stage separation, the Super Heavy booster is expected to perform a controlled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico instead of attempting a return-to-launch-site tower catch. Meanwhile, Ship 39 will continue on a near-orbital trajectory and deploy 22 Starlink simulator payloads, demonstrating Starship’s future ability to carry large batches of next-generation satellites into space.
One of the key objectives of Flight Test 12 is to evaluate Starship’s upgraded heat shield system, which remains one of the company’s biggest technical challenges. The spacecraft carries around 40,000 heat-resistant ceramic tiles, and previous test flights experienced tile losses and heat damage during descent. To improve analysis, SpaceX will deploy two small inspection payloads designed to photograph and scan sections of the heat shield during flight. Engineers have also intentionally modified certain tiles to study how the system reacts to stress, temperature changes, and aerodynamic pressure during re-entry.
The 12th flight becomes even more crucial as SpaceX’s previous Starship mission, Flight Test 11 in October 2025, was regarded as the company’s most successful launch yet. The mission achieved stage separation, payload deployment, an in-space Raptor engine relight, and controlled splashdowns for both the Super Heavy booster and upper-stage Ship 38 without any major technical failures.
The Tech Portal is published by Blue Box Media Private Limited. Our investors have no influence over our reporting. Read our full Ownership and Funding Disclosure →
Ashutosh is a Senior Writer at The Tech Portal, largely reporting on new tech, and intersection of technology and business. Ashutosh’s career spans across nearly a decade of technology writing across multiple platforms and languages.
