SpaceX Starship V3 Full-Stack Static Fires Complete — Flight 12 Targets Late April from Pad 2

SpaceX completed all full-stack static fire milestones for Starship Flight 12: Ship 39 fired on April 14 and Booster 19 ignited all 33 Raptor 3 engines on April 15 at Starbase Pad 2 — the first time Pad 2 has supported pre-launch testing. Flight 12 will be the first Starship orbital launch from Pad 2 and the debut of the Starship Version 3 configuration. V3 uses redesigned Raptor 3 engines with higher thrust and improved reliability, and a reinforced heat shield tile system targeting more durable reentry performance. The vehicle is directly related to Artemis III HLS: SpaceX must demonstrate the V3 configuration's reliability and reentry capability before adapting the design for the crewed lunar-landing-capable Starship HLS variant required for Artemis missions from 2027 onward.