SpaceX is targeting early May 2026 for the 12th launch of its Starship rocket, according to statements from CEO Elon Musk and multiple reports tracking the program, though no official launch date has been announced.
Musk said in early April that the next Starship flight test was roughly four to six weeks out, a timeline that points to a launch between early and mid-May. Some coverage has since narrowed that window to the first two weeks of the month. The date could slip if testing or regulatory approvals take longer than expected.
Starship has launched 11 times as of October 13, 2025, with six successful flights and five failures. The program's first four Block 2 upper stages all failed in 2025, a string of setbacks that contributed to repeated delays against SpaceX's own schedule targets.
The vehicle stands 121.3 meters tall and weighs approximately 5,300 metric tons when fully fueled. It consists of two stages: the Super Heavy booster and the Starship upper stage, both built from stainless steel and powered by Raptor engines burning liquid methane and liquid oxygen. SpaceX intends both stages to return to the launch tower at Starbase in Texas and land vertically for reuse.
In its baseline reusable configuration, SpaceX says Starship is designed to carry 100 to 150 metric tons to low Earth orbit, which would make it the highest-capacity launch vehicle ever flown if the design is completed as intended.
Beyond satellite deployment and cargo missions, Starship is central to NASA's Artemis program. A crewed variant called the Starship Human Landing System is under contract with NASA, with a docking test planned as part of Artemis III, currently scheduled for 2027, and a crewed lunar landing targeted for 2028.
SpaceX has not posted an official launch window for Flight 12.
