IFT-12 May 12 Window Not Used — SpaceX Retargets Starship V3 Debut to NET May 19

SpaceX confirmed on May 12, 2026 that the opening Starship Flight 12 (IFT-12) launch window of May 12 (originally listed at 22:30 UTC) would not be used, sliding the NET (No Earlier Than) date to May 19, 2026 at 5:30 PM CDT. The revised window extends May 15–21 (5:30–7:43 PM CT). No technical anomaly or regulatory issue was cited publicly for the one-week delay. Booster 19 and Ship 39 remain fully stacked on Orbital Launch Pad 2 at Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas — cleared by the successful full-duration 33-engine static fire on May 7. FAA flight-safety approval and FCC communications license remain valid. IFT-12 will be the maiden flight of the clean-sheet Starship V3 architecture, standing 408 feet tall with all-Raptor 3 engines. Both booster and ship will target ocean splashdown; no Mechazilla tower catch is planned for this inaugural V3 flight. Primary mission objectives include first-flight validation of Ship 39's docking port hardware and integrated propellant-transfer system components — direct prerequisites for the Artemis III Earth-orbit HLS rendezvous demonstration in 2027 and Artemis IV crewed lunar landing in 2028.