Starship IFT-12 Timeline Slips from Late April to May 2026 — Booster 19 Awaits 33-Engine Static Fire

SpaceX's Starship Integrated Flight Test 12 (IFT-12) — the debut of the V3 Starship architecture — has slipped from its late-April target to approximately May 2026, according to space industry reporters including Sawyer Merritt. The delay stems from the partial result of the March 16 static fire: Booster 19 (the first V3 Super Heavy, equipped with Raptor 3 engines) completed a 10-engine firing that ended early due to a ground-side abort, but only 10 of the required 33 Raptor 3 engines had been installed at that time. The booster was subsequently rolled back to the Starbase production facility to receive the remaining 23 engines. A full 33-engine static fire — identical in scope to the milestone tests on previous Super Heavy boosters — remains the primary gating milestone before rollout, stacking, and the IFT-12 launch attempt. Ship 39, the V3 Starship upper stage, has completed cryoloading preflight tests at Pad 2. The FAA launch license covering the April 5–October 5, 2026 window remains valid. No formal public target date for the 33-engine test has been announced by SpaceX.