**Summary**
SpaceX has released a detailed update on the upcoming Starship Flight 12, which will use the newly‑finished Version 3 vehicle. Key points include:
- **Vehicle upgrades:**
- The Ship 39 was lifted for the first time using the actual lift‑and‑catch points on the Pad 2 tower, eliminating the old ball‑and‑socket system.
- The aft skirt is now cleaner: vacuum Raptor engines no longer need external bracing, the false ceiling is greatly reduced, and the flaps house new reaction‑control nozzles instead of the previous vent pipes.
- Docking drogues are installed, heat‑shield tile test patches are visible, and two white‑painted tiles will serve as intentional “missing‑tile” markers for inspection by dummy satellites.
- Propellant feed lines are vacuum‑jacketed, a high‑voltage cryogenic recirculation system (co‑developed with NASA) manages boil‑off, and upgraded avionics (~60 units) can deliver up to 9 MW peak power.
- A new RF sensor will gauge propellant levels in zero‑g, critical for future in‑space transfers.
- Pad 2 tower arms now use electromechanical actuators (faster, more redundant) instead of hydraulic ones.
- **Flight 12 mission profile:**
- Launch is targeted for **Tuesday May 19** (with backup windows through May 29) after FAA licensing.
- All 33 Super Heavy Raptor 3 engines will ignite simultaneously at liftoff; Max Q will occur ~17 s earlier than on prior flights due to higher thrust.
- Hot staging will fire all six Raptor 3 engines in a staggered sequence to flip the booster for a boost‑back burn, aiming for a controlled splashdown a few miles offshore.
- The Ship will carry **22 dummy satellites (~44 t)**, the largest payload to date; two of them host hardware to scan the heat shield and relay imagery, while a single tile is removed to study aerodynamic effects of a missing tile.
- After a de‑orbit burn demo, the Ship will perform a super‑heated reentry, then ignite its three center sea‑level engines, flip vertical, and land softly in the Indian Ocean at a precise target.
- The mission will stress the flaps and reaction‑control system to validate maneuvers needed for a future launch‑site return and tower catch (planned for Flight 13).
- Each vehicle carries ~50 cameras; video will be downlinked via Starlink at up to 480 Mbps.
- **Supporting activity:**
- A successful wet‑dress rehearsal loaded ~5,000 t of methane/oxygen in 36 minutes, followed by frost‑visible propellant flow and tower‑vent modifications to prevent blow‑back.
- Ship 39 and Booster 19 were transported to their respective megabays for final flight prep.
- Other brief notes: Falcon 9 launched NROL‑172 (Vandenberg) and CRS‑34 (Cape Canaveral); Blue Origin revealed a Mars‑orbit communications relay concept and a crew‑cabin mock‑up; Rocket Lab is testing stage separation for its Neutron rocket; a new droneship is being outfitted to ferry Starship between Texas and Florida.
Overall, the update showcases extensive hardware and procedural refinements on Version 3 Starship, positioning Flight 12 as a major step toward rapid reusability, on‑orbit propellant transfer, and eventual launch‑site capture.
1. SpaceX released new information about Flight 12, with a launch expected in a few days.
2. The launch date was slightly delayed due to minor challenges earlier in the week.
3. For the first time, Ship 39 was lifted onto the Super Heavy using the actual lift‑and‑catch points on Version 3 Starship.
4. Previous Starship versions used a ball‑and‑socket setup that has now been removed.
5. Version 3 vacuum engines no longer have external bracing on the upper nozzle.
6. The false ceiling inside the ship has been dramatically reduced compared to earlier versions.
7. Engines are no longer fully surrounded by shielding, reducing the need for CO₂ purge during operation.
8. The three propellant‑dump vents in the skirt have been removed; they are replaced by shaped pipes leading to a manifold with multiple reaction‑control nozzles.
9. Docking drogues (passive counterparts of the Probe‑and‑Drogue, Non‑Androgynous System) have been installed on both sides of the ship.
10. Aft‑facing cameras have been added to capture views of the flaps during flight.
11. Test tile patches on the leeward side of Ship 39 are being used to evaluate different tile recipes and attachment methods.
12. Evenly spaced white tiles along the ship’s sides are regular tiles that have been painted white.
13. The Ship Quick Disconnect interface was positioned and hooked up for the first time during preparations.
14. During the Wet Dress Rehearsal, approximately 5,000 metric tonnes of liquid methane and oxygen were loaded in 36 minutes.
15. The engine chill dump vent was routed down the Quick Disconnect arm and off the bottom of the vehicle.
16. The detonation suppression system fired and the deluge system activated, completing the launch rehearsal.
17. After rehearsal, Ship 39 and Booster 19 were returned to their respective Megabays for final flight preparations.
18. Booster 19 was moved to Megabay 1 a few hours after Ship 39 arrived at Megabay 2.
19. All 20 hold‑down clamps on Booster 19 were retracted, revealing a new paint job that matches the 2023 SpaceX 3D render.
20. The top‑deck deluge system was tested four times after pad repairs and modifications.
21. Additional wet‑dress testing is scheduled for Sunday (May 19) with a backup date on Monday (May 20).
22. The FAA issued an official launch licence for Flight 12, targeting a launch on Tuesday, May 19, with backup opportunities through May 29.
23. Flight 12 will launch, pass Jamaica, and perform a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean west of Australia.
24. Max Q is expected to occur roughly 17 seconds sooner than on prior flights due to increased thrust from Raptor 3 engines.
25. Hot staging will involve all six Raptor 3 engines firing in a staggered sequence at stage separation.
26. After separation, the Super Heavy will use all 13 engines for a boost‑back burn aimed at a controlled splashdown a few miles offshore.
27. The booster now has three gridfins (instead of four) with a different shape.
28. Flight 12 will carry 22 dummy satellites, totaling about 44 tonnes—the largest payload ever flown on Starship.
29. Two of the dummy satellites are equipped with hardware to scan the ship’s heat shield and transmit imagery to ground.
30. A single tile was removed from the vehicle to study aerodynamic load differences on adjacent tiles.
31. Before reentry, the ship will perform a single‑engine burn to demonstrate future deorbit capability.
32. The mission will end with ignition of the three center sea‑level engines, a flip to vertical, and a soft landing in the Indian Ocean at a precise target.
33. On Version 3, all 33 Super Heavy engines ignite simultaneously at liftoff (previous versions lit them in groups).
34. The aft flaps now have one actuator replaced by three motors to provide redundancy if a motor fails.
35. Version 3 Pez Dispenser mechanisms have upgraded actuators and inverters to increase satellite deployment speed.
36. Header‑tank feed lines inside the ship are now fully vacuum‑jacketed to minimize propellant warming and boil‑off.
37. A new high‑voltage electrically actuated cryogenic recirculation system (developed with NASA) manages propellant during coast phases.
38. Enhanced avionics units (~60 total) each contain integrated batteries and inverters, delivering up to 9 MW of peak power across the vehicle.
39. A radio‑frequency sensor system has been installed to measure propellant levels inside tanks for accurate in‑space transfer calculations.
40. Each vehicle carries about 50 cameras; video will be downlinked via the Starlink network at a target bandwidth of 480 Mbps.
41. Pad 2 tower arms’ hydraulic actuators have been replaced with electromechanical driven actuators to improve speed, redundancy, and reliability.
42. A new droneship (provided by NSF) with a black‑and‑white canopy will transport Starship vehicles from Texas to Florida; it is scheduled to arrive at Port Isabel on May 26.
43. Falcon 9 launched the NROL‑172 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base carrying classified National Reconnaissance Office satellites.
44. Falcon 9 launched the CRS‑34 Commercial Resupply mission from SLC‑40, delivering ~3 tonnes of cargo to the ISS in Dragon C209 (its sixth flight).
45. Booster 1096 landed at Landing Zone 40 after the CRS‑34 mission.