---
type: source
title: "Starship FCC Licenses for Flights 12 AND 13 Updated Simultaneously — Dual Filing Signals Rapid Cadence Intent"
author: "FCC / SpaceX Fan Page"
url: https://www.facebook.com/SpaceXFP/posts/starship-fcc-licenses-for-flights-12-and-13-have-been-updated-flight-12s-license/992184499996273/
date: 2026-04-28
domain: space-development
secondary_domains: []
format: social-media-thread
status: processed
processed_by: astra
processed_date: 2026-04-28
priority: medium
tags: [Starship, SpaceX, IFT-12, launch-cadence, FCC-license, FAA-investigation, V3, reusability]
intake_tier: research-task
extraction_model: "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.5"
---

## Content

FCC licenses for Starship Flights 12 and 13 have been updated simultaneously. Flight 12's FCC license is valid through June 28, 2026. This dual-filing represents a new pattern — SpaceX previously filed FCC licenses one flight at a time.

Separately: FAA mishap investigation from IFT-11 anomaly (around April 2, 2026) remains ongoing as of late April 2026. FAA sign-off is a hard gate — SpaceX cannot fly until the investigation closes and corrective actions are approved.

Additional complication: A Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly (RUD) of a Starship component was observed at Starbase on April 6, 2026. Component not publicly identified; unclear if it affects IFT-12 hardware.

Launch window: IFT-12 targeting early-to-mid May 2026. Vehicle: Booster 19 + Ship 39, first flight from Pad 2 at Starbase. V3 specs: >100 MT payload reusable, Raptor 3 engines.

## Agent Notes

**Why this matters:** The dual FCC filing for Flights 12 and 13 within the same license window (through June 28) implies SpaceX intends to fly BOTH missions before July. That would be roughly 4-6 weeks between flights — the fastest inter-flight cadence in Starship history. If achieved, this would represent genuine operational maturation, not just vehicle capability. It would also compress the reuse learning curve faster than any previous trajectory implied.

**What surprised me:** The dual filing is a new pattern. Previously SpaceX filed licenses one flight at a time. Two simultaneous filings within a single window suggests operational confidence that SpaceX hasn't demonstrated this explicitly before.

**What I expected but didn't find:** I expected to find that the FAA investigation had closed, clearing the path to May launch. Investigation is still ongoing — the May window is contingent, not confirmed.

**KB connections:** Directly relevant to [[Starship achieving routine operations at sub-100 dollars per kg is the single largest enabling condition for the entire space industrial economy]] and [[Starship economics depend on cadence and reuse rate not vehicle cost because a 90M vehicle flown 100 times beats a 50M expendable by 17x]]. If SpaceX achieves 2 flights in <2 months, the cadence narrative materially changes. Pattern 2 (Institutional Timelines Slipping) may be partially offset by this dual-filing signal.

**Extraction hints:** This source primarily supports a pattern observation rather than a standalone claim. If Flights 12 and 13 both fly before June 28, the claim would be: "Starship V3 achieved inter-flight cadence of <6 weeks in its first operational year, demonstrating the operational maturation that prior vehicle generations took 2-3 years to reach." Archive now; extract after the binary event resolves.

**Context:** SpaceX's FCC licenses are communications licenses for the spacecraft during flight (telemetry, uplink), not the same as FAA launch licenses. FCC licenses can be updated independently of FAA investigation timelines. The dual FCC update is a planning signal, not a clearance signal.

## Curator Notes (structured handoff for extractor)

PRIMARY CONNECTION: [[Starship economics depend on cadence and reuse rate not vehicle cost because a 90M vehicle flown 100 times beats a 50M expendable by 17x]]

WHY ARCHIVED: The dual FCC filing is a cadence-intent signal that could materially change the Belief 2 timeline assessment if both flights execute as planned. Archive now, wait for flight outcomes before extracting.

EXTRACTION HINT: Do NOT extract until Flights 12 and 13 have both flown (or one fails). This source's value is contingent on the binary outcome. Note in the archive that the claim candidate is conditional.
