SpaceX completed key fueling and rehearsal steps for Starship V3, ahead of a new pad debut and updated flight trajectory plans.
A new milestone in rocket engineering is taking shape at SpaceX’s Starbase, with the launch team preparing a Starship V3 flight after loading massive quantities of cryogenic propellants and completing a major launch rehearsal.
On Monday. SpaceX’s launch team loaded more than 11 million pounds (over 5. 000 metric tons) of super-cold methane and liquid oxygen into both stages of the rocket.. The fueling came after a pause to an earlier attempt on Saturday night. when a technical issue forced the team to halt.. The crew then continued with the rehearsal, setting the stage for liftoff.
The rehearsal was preceded by a critical test at the launch site on May 6. when the booster’s 33 Raptor engines were fired as a full set.. That ignition marked the first time SpaceX lit a complete complement of uprated Raptor 3s. a step designed to validate engine performance and readiness before the vehicle is fully committed to flight.
At liftoff. SpaceX expects the rocket to generate around 18 million pounds of thrust. roughly 10% higher than the previous generation of Super Heavy boosters. based on specifications the company released.. That increase matters because it translates directly into how quickly the rocket can build speed and how it can manage the demanding demands of ascent for a vehicle built to return to Earth.
The sheer scale of the hardware is difficult to overstate.. In Version 3. the internal transfer tube that carries methane from the top of the booster down to the engine compartment is about as large as the first stage of SpaceX’s Falcon 9—roughly 12 feet (3.7 meters) in diameter.. Such dimensions underscore how Starship’s architecture depends on moving cryogenic fuel efficiently through major structural sections.
The upcoming launch will also be a first for Starbase infrastructure: it is set to lift off from a new launch pad located about 1. 000 feet (300 meters) west of the departure point for prior Starship test flights.. This will be the 12th full-scale Starship test flight. and it will be the first since delays in readying V3 for its initial launch last year.
As with many earlier Starship missions. the upper stage is planned to target a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean just over an hour after liftoff.. The mission profile reflects the iterative approach SpaceX has used across test flights—pushing the system toward reusability while still relying on ocean recovery during early stages of vehicle development.
For future flights of Starship V3. SpaceX says it plans to bring the spacecraft back to Starbase for retrieval by the launch tower’s mechanical arms.. The company has already demonstrated this kind of catch with the massive Super Heavy booster. and the next step is extending that recovery approach to the ship itself.
One operational change being introduced on this launch is a more southerly flight path over the Gulf of Mexico.. Instead of traveling over the Florida Straits. the rocket is expected to follow a route that takes it between the northeastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula and the western tip of Cuba.. Trajectory shifts like this can reflect updated range planning, safety constraints, and mission requirements.
Behind the scenes, key work remains before Starship V3 is cleared to fly.. SpaceX must install the hardware for the rocket’s self-destruct system. including pyrotechnics intended to destroy the vehicle if it deviates from its flight plan.. Installing that system requires removal of the ship from the booster. a reminder that certain safety measures cannot be integrated while the vehicle remains fully assembled for launch.
Regulatory steps are also not yet complete. A launch license from the Federal Aviation Administration is still pending, meaning the final authorization for the flight has not been issued at the time of the report.
Even with major rehearsals underway. the combination of engine validation. new pad operations. and trajectory adjustments shows how each Starship attempt is treated as both a test of hardware and a stress test of the entire launch system.. If the pending licensing and remaining integration steps proceed as expected. the flight would represent another high-profile marker of how rapidly SpaceX is pushing Starship V3 toward its next phase of performance and—eventually—more ambitious recovery goals. in Misryoum.
SpaceX Starship V3 Super Heavy Raptor 3 rocket fueling FAA launch license