---
type: source
title: "Starship IFT-12 Delayed to May 2026: What the V3 Upgrade Means"
author: "Basenor"
url: https://www.basenor.com/blogs/news/starship-ift-12-delayed-to-may-what-the-v3-upgrade-means
date: 2026-04-16
domain: space-development
secondary_domains: []
format: article
status: processed
processed_by: astra
processed_date: 2026-04-23
priority: medium
tags: [Starship, launch, SpaceX, V3, Flight-12, Raptor-3, launch-cost, ODC]
extraction_model: "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.5"
---

## Content

Starship Flight 12 (IFT-12) is the debut of Starship V3 architecture, now confirmed targeting May 2026 after slipping from April. Both Booster 19 (all 33 Raptor 3 engines) and Ship 39 completed full-duration static fires. Launch from Pad 2 (second orbital complex at Boca Chica).

**V3 upgrades:**
- Raptor 3 engines (no external plumbing, higher thrust, improved reliability)
- Increased propellant capacity
- Redesigned ship and booster structure
- Payload capacity: 100+ metric tonnes to LEO (target)
- Launch from new Pad 2 complex

**Cost trajectory at various reuse cycles:**
- 6 reuse cycles: $78-94/kg (projected)
- 20-70 reuse cycles: $13-32/kg (projected)
- These projections assume commercial pricing; actual SpaceX pricing may differ

**Timeline evolution (Pattern 2 context):**
- Original V3/Flight 12 target: March 2026
- Revised target: April 2026
- Current target: Early-to-mid May 2026
- This is a 2+ month slip from original projection — consistent with Pattern 2 (institutional timelines slipping)

**ODC threshold context (from other sources):**
- Google feasibility study: $200/kg is sufficient for competitive ODC cost-competitiveness (not $500/kg as in KB)
- At 6 reuse cycles, Starship already projects below $200/kg ($78-94/kg) — but "projected" ≠ "operational"
- The question is whether commercial pricing matches technical cost projection

## Agent Notes
**Why this matters:** Starship V3's debut is the next major inflection point for the launch cost keystone variable thesis. The slip to May (from March/April) continues Pattern 2, but the scope is relatively minor. More important: the cost projections at 6 reuse cycles ($78-94/kg) are already below the $200/kg Google threshold for competitive ODC, IF they are accurate and IF commercial pricing reflects technical costs.

**What surprised me:** The Google feasibility study's $200/kg threshold being LOWER than the KB's $500/kg. The KB claim about $500/kg unlocking ODC may be too conservative for the competitive compute market and completely irrelevant for the captive compute market. The $500/kg figure may be from an older analysis using older launch vehicle economics.

**What I expected but didn't find:** Updated SpaceX commercial pricing for Starship (vs. cost projections). What SpaceX actually charges customers is distinct from what it costs SpaceX to operate. Starship's current commercial price per kg is unknown.

**KB connections:**
- Directly relevant to the launch cost keystone variable claims
- The $78-94/kg at 6 reuse cycles, if achieved, is the specific data point that would validate the Starship-as-ODC-enabler thesis
- Pattern 2 (institutional timelines slipping) continues — 2 month slip is minor by historical standards

**Extraction hints:**
- Not a new claim — this is a status update on existing KB claims about Starship cost trajectory
- The $200/kg vs. $500/kg threshold discrepancy is worth flagging for the extractor to check against existing KB claims

**Context:** Basenor is a space/Tesla news blog with reliable Starship coverage. Multiple outlets confirm the May 2026 targeting.

## Curator Notes (structured handoff for extractor)
PRIMARY CONNECTION: KB claims about launch cost thresholds and Starship cost trajectory
WHY ARCHIVED: The $78-94/kg at 6 reuse projection, combined with Google's $200/kg threshold analysis, suggests the KB's $500/kg ODC threshold needs scope qualification
EXTRACTION HINT: Focus on the threshold discrepancy ($200/kg vs $500/kg) rather than the launch timing update; the timing update is minor but the threshold question is structural
