SpaceX has pushed the first launch of Starship V3 to 20 May, moving the attempt back a day as the company prepares for Flight 12 from Starbase in Texas. It will be the 12th test flight in the program since 2023, and the first in seven months. The launch answer is simple: if the schedule holds, Starship V3 is set for 20 May at 18:30 US Eastern time.
The shift is not surprising. Starship launch windows have historically stretched anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours, so a small delay is baked into the process. What is different this time is the sense of finality around the prep work: SpaceX has already completed a dress rehearsal at its South Texas test site, and local authorities have locked down roads and nearby beach access through 21 May.
Starship V3 launch time and livestream
The third version of Starship is scheduled to lift off at 18:30 US Eastern time, which is 01:30 Moscow time on 21 May. SpaceX’s livestream is due to begin about 45 minutes earlier, at 17:45 Eastern time, or 00:45 Moscow time.
Starship V3 dress rehearsal before Flight 12
SpaceX carried out a full rehearsal at the South Texas test range on 11 May, checking the key systems on the V3 megarocket before flight. That kind of test is routine, but on a vehicle as ambitious as Starship it is also a reminder that the company is still trying to turn a spectacular prototype into something approaching a reusable transport system.
For competitors, that matters more than the calendar. Boeing, Blue Origin, and China’s heavy-lift programs are all watching Starship because its cadence, if it ever stabilizes, could reshape expectations for launch reuse and mission tempo across the sector. For now, though, SpaceX is still doing what it does best: launching, learning, and occasionally moving the launch back one day without making a fuss about it.
Road closures around Starbase
Local officials have already restricted public access to roads near SpaceX’s launch complex and to the adjacent beach. The closures run from 19 to 21 May, which is usually the strongest signal that a launch is close enough to matter – even if the rocket itself still gets the final say.
The open question is not whether SpaceX can get Starship V3 off the pad, but whether the company can finally start narrowing the gaps between flights. After seven months away from test launches, a clean liftoff would be useful; another delay would be more paperwork than drama, and SpaceX has already shown it has plenty of patience for both.