SpaceX targets second Starship V3 launch attempt after scrub Friday

The mission is the first launch of the next-generation Starship and Super Heavy vehicles, which SpaceX describes as the third generation of both systems. It also marks the debut of the next evolution of the Raptor engine and the first flight from Starbase’s second launch pad, a newly designed facility built for the larger vehicle. Launch trackers identified Booster 19 and Ship 39 as the V3 hardware slated for the test.

SpaceX said Flight 12 was meant to demonstrate the redesigned Starship architecture in flight for the first time. The company has now logged 11 Starship-only flight tests and 11 integrated flights of Starship and Super Heavy, a cadence that underscores how quickly the program has advanced since its earliest attempts. The company says the redesigned booster now has three grid fins instead of four, with each fin 50% larger and stronger, part of the effort to improve control and recovery as the vehicle scales up.

The stakes reach well beyond Boca Chica. SpaceX says Starship is designed as a fully reusable transportation system for crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond, and says it is the world’s most powerful launch vehicle, capable of carrying more than 100 metric tonnes to orbit in a fully reusable configuration. If the V3 test performs as intended, it will help validate the kind of hardware changes needed for faster reuse, lower launch costs and the kind of operational rhythm that NASA and national security customers ultimately need.