SpaceX set to launch Starship test flight on May 20: Here’s all you need to know
Elon Musk-owned SpaceX is scheduled to launch the gargantuan rocket on May 20, marking its first major test flight since late 2025 as the company continues to push the boundaries of space exploration.
SpaceX has said that the flight test is being conducted to test both pieces of the hardware in a simulated flight environment. (Image: SpaceX) 2026 could potentially be a big year for SpaceX as it looks to go public even as the commercial spaceflight company founded by Elon Musk in 2022 gears up for the launch of its gargantuan rocket called Starship, with a test flight scheduled for Wednesday, May 20.
This would mark the 12th overall launch of the world’s largest rocket since April 2023, and the first since October 2025.
Starship is currently parked on the launchpad of SpaceX’s headquarters in South Texas, United States. The upcoming launch is crucial as SpaceX is looking to have a lunar lander configuration of Starship ready for astronaut moon landings under NASA’s Artemis campaign.
When is the Starship launch?
Starship is set to launch on Wednesday, May 20, at 6:30 pm ET (or 4 am IST on May 20). Lift off is from the same launchpad in Texas, where the company’s headquarters are located.
Starship’s twelfth flight test will debut the next generation Starship and Super Heavy vehicles, powered by the next evolution of the Raptor engine and launching from a newly designed pad at Starbase. The launch is targeted as early as Tuesday, May 19 → https://t.co/2gZQUxS6mm pic.twitter.com/JxmpL2WE4w
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 12, 2026
What is Starship Version 3?
The largest and most powerful version of Starship is set to debut soon. The Super Heavy booster and the upper stage, referred to as the “ship,” have undergone significant upgrades to prepare for the launch, SpaceX mentioned in a lengthy post on a website.
Version 3 is designed to fully utilise Starship’s capabilities for reaching the Moon and supporting human space transportation for deeper exploration. It is also capable of mid-flight refueling through orbital fuel transfer with other vehicles.
Starship is 407 feet tall, and the third-generation rocket is four feet taller when compared to its predecessor.
Version 3 is more powerful than any version of the rocket launched so far. The fully integrated space vehicle consists of two main components: a 236-foot lower-stage booster called Super Heavy and a 171-foot upper stage known simply as Starship. It is powered by 33 of SpaceX’s Raptor-class engines.
How will the flight test be conducted?
SpaceX has said that the flight test is being conducted to test both pieces of the hardware in a simulated flight environment.
To push the performance of the Super Heavy booster, the landing will take place in the Gulf of Mexico, officially redesignated in the US by executive order as the Gulf of America. Over 22 of SpaceX’s Starlink satellites will be deployed to test its capabilities.
The launch will take place on an upgraded launchpad called Pad 2. The propellant farm that the launchpad has been upgraded with includes increased storage capacity and more pumps. The pumps have been designed to refill the vehicle quickly. The new design has enabled mechanical arms (nicknamed ‘chopsticks’) attached to the launch tower to catch the returning booster.
(This article is curated by Salonee Kulkarni, who is an intern at The Indian Express.)
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