SpaceX's Starship V3 megarocket will do something completely new on Flight 12 — take a good look at itself

SpaceX conducts a full-duration static fire test with the upper stage of the Starship V3 vehicle that will conduct the Flight 12 test. SpaceX posted this image on X on April 14, 2026.

There are plenty of reasons to get excited about Tuesday's (May 19) planned test flight of SpaceX's Starship megarocket.

For starters, it will be the first launch of Starship — the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built — in nearly seven months. And, while the mission will be Starship's 12th overall, it will mark the debut of the advanced new V3 vehicle, which features a number of important modifications and upgrades compared to its predecessors. (That helps explain the long launch lacuna.)