The Twelfth Test Launch of SpaceX's Reusable Starship Rocket Could Happen on May 13

The Artemis program is closely linked to the development of lunar landers, particularly crewed versions. Currently, SpaceX's Starship HSL and Blue Origin's Blue Moon MK2 are under construction. Just a few weeks ago, it seemed that NASA was aiming to launch the Artemis III mission (in LEO) around mid-2027. Jared Isaacman (administrator of the space agency) announced during a congressional hearing that both companies assured him that the lunar landers would be ready by the end of next year, potentially delaying the next mission of the program.

Three years since the first flight of Starship, the next generation is here. New ship. New booster. New engines. New pad and new test site. SpaceX engineers are working to solve one of the most difficult engineering challenges in history: developing a fully, rapidly reusable…

SpaceX — SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 24, 2026

With Artemis III on the horizon, all eyes are particularly on Starship, as SpaceX is about to launch the twelfth time (Flight 12) the fully reusable rocket. Elon Musk had stated over the months that this mission was initially scheduled for the first part of the year, but it kept being postponed. Now, Flight 12 could take off no earlier than 0:30 on May 13 (Italian time).

The Twelfth Launch of Starship Could Be Near

The information comes from data entered into the CADENA system for air traffic management. The launch window for this suborbital mission of Starship will open at 0:30 and close at 02:43 on May 13 (Italian time), while in the Starbase area (Texas) it will be afternoon. One of the most interesting aspects is related to the new trajectory, which will be further south and more inclined compared to previous missions. This choice is likely linked to a lower impact on air traffic in the Florida (and Cuba) area, positioning itself instead in a corridor between the Yucatán Peninsula, Cuba, the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. The terminal phase, where the landing of Ship 39 is still expected, will take place off the coast of Australia, in the Indian Ocean. As always, we remind you that until there is an official announcement from SpaceX, dates and times should be considered indicative (even though the timing seems correct).

During Flight 12, we will witness, as mentioned above, a new suborbital test that will recall some of those seen previously. The motivation is to test the third generation hardware that will fly for the first time during this mission. Super Heavy Booster 19 and Ship 39 will be involved. Both units have completed several tests, including two static fires a few days apart.

With Flight 12, recovery of either stage is not expected. Booster 19 is expected to fall back in the Gulf of Mexico and not be recovered by Mechazilla, while Ship 39 is expected to land in the Indian Ocean after a controlled reentry and the belly-flop maneuver. For this mission, Pad 2 of Starbase will also be inaugurated, which has a different and more robust structure than Pad 1 (used so far). The Raptor 3 engines will also debut in a flight, representing a significant evolution over Raptor 2, having a simpler design but also providing more thrust and saving overall mass.