3 min learnNew DelhiUp to date: Might 18, 2026 04:25 PM IST
2026 may doubtlessly be a giant 12 months for SpaceX because it appears to go public even because the industrial spaceflight firm based by Elon Musk in 2022 gears up for the launch of its gargantuan rocket referred to as Starship, with a take a look at flight scheduled for Wednesday, Might 20.
This may mark the twelfth general launch of the world’s largest rocket since April 2023, and the primary since October 2025.
Starship is presently parked on the launchpad of SpaceX’s headquarters in South Texas, United States. The upcoming launch is essential as SpaceX is seeking to have a lunar lander configuration of Starship prepared for astronaut moon landings underneath NASA’s Artemis marketing campaign.
When is the Starship launch?
Starship is ready to launch on Wednesday, Might 20, at 6:30 pm ET (or 4 am IST on Might 20). Carry off is from the identical launchpad in Texas, the place the corporate’s headquarters are situated.
Starship’s twelfth flight take a look at will debut the following technology Starship and Tremendous Heavy automobiles, powered by the following evolution of the Raptor engine and launching from a newly designed pad at Starbase. The launch is focused as early as Tuesday, Might 19 → https://t.co/2gZQUxS6mm pic.twitter.com/JxmpL2WE4w
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 12, 2026
What’s Starship Model 3?
The biggest and strongest model of Starship is ready to debut quickly. The Tremendous Heavy booster and the higher stage, known as the “ship,” have undergone vital upgrades to arrange for the launch, SpaceX talked about in a prolonged submit on an internet site.
Model 3 is designed to totally utilise Starship’s capabilities for reaching the Moon and supporting human house transportation for deeper exploration. It’s also able to mid-flight refueling via orbital gasoline switch with different automobiles.
Starship is 407 toes tall, and the third-generation rocket is 4 toes taller when in comparison with its predecessor.
Model 3 is extra highly effective than any model of the rocket launched up to now. The absolutely built-in house car consists of two predominant elements: a 236-foot lower-stage booster referred to as Tremendous Heavy and a 171-foot higher stage recognized merely as Starship. It’s powered by 33 of SpaceX’s Raptor-class engines.
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How will the flight take a look at be performed?
SpaceX has stated that the flight take a look at is being performed to check each items of the {hardware} in a simulated flight surroundings.
To push the efficiency of the Tremendous Heavy booster, the touchdown will happen within the Gulf of Mexico, formally redesignated within the US by govt order because the Gulf of America. Over 22 of SpaceX’s Starlink satellites might be deployed to check its capabilities.
The launch will happen on an upgraded launchpad referred to as Pad 2. The propellant farm that the launchpad has been upgraded with contains elevated storage capability and extra pumps. The pumps have been designed to refill the car rapidly. The brand new design has enabled mechanical arms (nicknamed ‘chopsticks’) connected to the launch tower to catch the returning booster.
(This text is curated by Salonee Kulkarni, who’s an intern at The Indian Categorical.)
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