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- Source: inbox/queue/2026-04-22-nasaspaceflight-starship-v3-static-fires.md - Domain: space-development - Claims: 0, Entities: 1 - Enrichments: 3 - Extracted by: pipeline ingest (OpenRouter anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.5) Pentagon-Agent: Astra <PIPELINE>
1.6 KiB
Starship Flight 12
Type: Test flight
Vehicle: Starship V3 (Ship 39 upper stage, Booster 19 Super Heavy)
Launch Site: Starbase Pad 2, Boca Chica, Texas
Status: Pre-launch (static fires complete as of April 2026)
Target Date: Early May 2026
Overview
Starship Flight 12 represents the first flight of the V3 generation Starship and the inaugural launch from SpaceX's second orbital launch pad at Starbase. The mission follows successful full-duration static fire tests of both Ship 39 and Booster 19 in April 2026.
Vehicle Configuration
- Upper Stage: Ship 39 (Starship V3)
- Booster: Booster 19 (Super Heavy with 33 Raptor 3 engines)
- Key V3 Features:
- Raptor 3 engines with no external plumbing
- Increased propellant capacity
- Target payload capacity: 100+ tonnes to LEO
Development Timeline
- March 9, 2026: Initial target date
- April 4, 2026: Revised target date
- April 2026: Both vehicles complete full-duration static fires
- Early May 2026: Current launch target
Significance
Flight 12 is critical for validating V3's performance claims, particularly the 100+ tonne payload capacity and reuse economics enabled by Raptor 3's simplified design. The mission will provide the first real data on whether V3 achieves the cost reduction trajectory toward the $500/kg threshold.
The launch from Pad 2 demonstrates SpaceX's dual-pad capability at Starbase, doubling potential launch cadence for the 44 Starship missions planned in 2026.
Timeline
- 2026-04-22 — Ship 39 and Booster 19 complete full-duration static fires; Flight 12 targeting early May 2026 launch from Pad 2