SpaceX has completed a key static-fire test of its next-generation Starship Version 3 upper stage, marking an important step toward its upcoming 12th test flight, targeted for early to mid-May. The upgraded rocket is larger and significantly more powerful than previous versions, standing about 408 feet tall and capable of carrying over 100 tons to low Earth orbit.
Starship V3 features new Raptor engines and improved performance compared with earlier models, following 11 prior suborbital test flights, reports Space.com. The latest successful ground test signals progress after earlier issues with the first-stage testing, reports Space.com.
The system is central to SpaceX’s long-term plans, including NASA’s Artemis program, where Starship is intended to serve as a crewed lunar lander for future missions to the Moon.
Three years since the first flight of Starship, the next generation is here. New ship. New booster. New engines. New pad and new test site. SpaceX engineers are working to solve one of the most difficult engineering challenges in history: developing a fully, rapidly reusable… pic.twitter.com/LOMrBE97J0
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 24, 2026
