SpaceX is preparing the 12th test flight of its Starship vehicle, now featuring Version 3 upgrades including stronger engines and a taller upper stage to boost payload capacity. The launch was delayed from an initial March–April window after technical hiccups; prediction markets currently favor a launch before June. The flight aims to validate upgrades and progress Starship toward orbital reusability, a capability that would strengthen its role as NASA’s Human Landing System candidate for Artemis III and future lunar missions.
SpaceX Prepares 12th Starship Test Flight with Upgraded Engines — A Crucial Step Toward Returning Humans to the Moon
SpaceX Starship Flight 8 takes off from Orbital Launch Pad A at Boca Chica beach on March 06, 2025 in Boca Chica Beach, Texas. The SpaceX Starship Flight 8 test launched and successfully caught its booster upon descent.(Getty Images)
SpaceX is preparing the 12th test flight of Starship, its fully reusable heavy-launch vehicle intended for deep-space missions. The upcoming flight is being framed as a key advance in the vehicle’s iterative development, testing upgrades designed to improve performance and payload capacity.
Upgrades and Objectives
On this flight, SpaceX plans to fly a Version 3 configuration featuring more powerful Raptor engines and a taller upper structure to support higher payload mass and better aerodynamic performance. These hardware changes are intended to validate the vehicle’s evolution toward an orbital, fully reusable system.
Schedule, Delays and Expectations
SpaceX originally targeted a March–April window for the launch, but technical issues and schedule adjustments pushed the date back. Prediction markets and public sentiment currently lean toward a launch before June, though no official launch date has been confirmed.
Why It Matters For Artemis
Achieving orbit and demonstrating reliable reusability would be a critical milestone for Starship’s role in NASA’s Artemis program. SpaceX’s Starship is a selected candidate to serve as the Human Landing System (HLS) for Artemis III, tasked with transferring astronauts from lunar orbit to the Moon’s surface. Successful test flights would bolster confidence that Starship can meet the performance and reliability requirements for crewed lunar missions and potential follow-on missions such as Artemis IV.
Context: Ongoing Astronomy News
Separately, the Hubble Space Telescope recently captured striking images of a so-called “space slug” nearly 5,000 light-years away — a reminder that astronomical discoveries continue even as launch activity ramps up.
Bottom Line: This 12th test flight is about validating important upgrades and moving Starship closer to orbital reusability and a possible operational role in returning humans to the Moon.
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