SpaceX is set to send its upgraded Starship V3 rocket on its first test flight on May 21 at 6:30 p.m. EDT, lifting off from the newly built Pad 2 at the company’s Starbase facility in Texas. The flight marks the 12th overall Starship test mission and the first for the substantially redesigned V3 variant.
SpaceX has been moving forward with its IPO process, with a public offering planned for June 2026. Analysts have dubbed this test flight the “single most important pre-IPO catalyst,” as it serves to provide potential investors with tangible evidence of the technical advancements and operational capabilities of the Starship program.
What’s actually different about V3
The upgraded vehicle stands 408 feet tall when fully stacked, making it the tallest rocket ever assembled. Its new Raptor 3 engines generate up to 18 million pounds of thrust, a meaningful jump over previous Starship iterations.
For this test flight, SpaceX has loaded Starlink simulator satellites on board, essentially dummy payloads designed to mimic the mass and deployment profile of the company’s broadband constellation hardware.
