NewsSpaceXLIVEUpdated 16 mins agoElon Musk's SpaceX is poised to launch its next-generation Starship with the enormous rocket seen as critical to pushing deeper into spaceSpaceX's Starship rocket is set to launch soon(Image: Charles Briggs/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock)Updated 12:33, 21 May 2026SpaceX is preparing to launch the most powerful rocket ever built as Elon Musk targets missions to the Moon and Mars.The billionaire's company is poised to conduct the 12th uncrewed test flight of its next-generation Starship rocket, the first of a newly upgraded vehicle seen as critical to pushing deeper into space.Today's launch comes just two years ahead of a planned mission to use the vehicle to carry astronauts to the Moon.A live stream of the launch will be available on the Mirror website and SpaceX's website.‌Today12:28 BSTUpgrades on rocket include greater thrust One of the principal upgrades to the booster rocket is a revamping of its 33 Raptor engines to produce greater thrust from a design that weighs significantly less.The propulsion system of the upper-stage Starship has similarly been refined for long-duration missions, with mechanisms to allow for ship-to-ship docking, refueling in space and increased maneuverability.A key measure of success for future test outings will be post-flight recovery of Starship and the Super Heavy booster, which are being developed as reusable vehicles.SpaceX said it would not attempt to safely land or retrieve either portion of the spacecraft from this launch. But test objectives include execution of several return-flight maneuvers by the booster and Starship ‌itself, including ⁠controlled landing burns before each vehicle splashes down at sea.The new design is set to mean greater thrust(Image: ZUMAPRESS.com / Zuma Press / Avalon)Today12:28 BSTSpaceX launch comes as Musk plans to inject money with IPOElon Musk is preparing for the launch after announcing one of the biggest stock sales ever by making SpaceX publicA filing shows that his SpaceX lost $2.6 billion from operations last year on $18.7 billion in revenue, and the losses kept piling up at the start of this year, too.The prospectus did not put a figure on the amount Musk hopes to raise, but various reports have put it at $75 billion or so. An offering of that size would easily surpass the current title holder, Saudi Aramco, the oil giant that went public seven years ago and raised $26 billion.SpaceX, formally known as Space Exploration Technologies Corp., has said the money will help finance projects to put people on the moon and Mars in its quest to make humans an intergalactic species as they face existential threats that could wipe out civilization.Today12:28 BSTFully reusable rocket ship is to lift off from TexasA fully reusable rocket ship is crucial to Elon Musk's goals of dramatically cutting launch costs, expanding his Starlink satellite business and pursuing ambitions ranging from orbital data centers to human interplanetary missions.The towering spacecraft, ⁠consisting of the upper-stage Starship astronaut vessel stacked atop its Super Heavy booster rocket, was due for launch as early as Thursday, the company said.It was targeting a liftoff from its Starbase facilities in Texas on the Gulf of Mexico.The Starship spacecraft stand on Orbital Launch Pad 2 at Starbase(Image: Joe Marino/UPI/Shutterstock)Today12:28 BSTStarship V3 has features designed to support future missions to the moon and MarsWhen fully stacked, the Starship craft and Super Heavy booster measure just over 124m and weigh roughly 5,000 metric tonnes, making it larger than Big Ben’s Elizabeth Tower.The debut flight of the Starship ‌V3 is outfitted with new features designed to support future missions to the moon and Mars.Today12:28 BSTWhen is the launch set to take place?A live stream of the launch will be shown on the Mirror website and SpaceX's website, as well as the company's official X page and YouTube channel.It will start broadcasting the event about 45 minutes before lift-off, which is currently scheduled for 5:30pm local time (11:30pm BST) today.‌