IFT-12 Cleared for Launch: Booster 19 Completes Full 33-Engine Static Fire — Window Opens May 12

On May 7, 2026, SpaceX's Booster 19 (Super Heavy V3) completed a successful full-duration 33-engine static fire at Starbase Pad 2 in Boca Chica, Texas — the follow-up test required after an earlier abort caused by a ramp manifold sensor anomaly. The successful 14-second firing at full thrust (~9,240 tonnes-force) clears Starship Flight 12 (IFT-12) for its first-ever launch, now targeting a May 12 opening window (22:30 UTC / 17:30 CDT) extending through May 18. The upper stage (Ship 39, Starship V3) had completed its own 6-engine static fire on April 14. FAA flight-safety approval and FCC communications license remain in hand. IFT-12 is the first flight of the completely redesigned Starship Version 3 architecture — a full clean-sheet redesign standing 408 ft tall with Raptor 3 engines throughout. The revised IFT-12 trajectory pairs Booster 19 and Ship 39 on a suborbital arc; both vehicle halves are expected to target splashdown (no tower-catch on this flight, a deliberate V3 architecture verification step). Ship 39's primary objectives include first-flight validation of the docking port hardware and propellant-transfer system components critical for Artemis III HLS Earth-orbit qualification flights in 2027 and the eventual Artemis IV crewed lunar landing in 2028. The IFT-12 window confirmation is the most significant milestone in the Starship HLS program since the April 1 Artemis II launch.