SpaceX plans to launch the 12th test flight of its Starship megarocket in six weeks, according to Elon Musk. It will be the first mission of the bigger, more powerful Starship "V3."

The first Starship test flight of 2026 is scheduled for as soon as early March as SpaceX enters a critical year in the vehicle’s development.

SpaceX is set to push the boundaries of space exploration with the upcoming debut of its most ambitious version of Starship yet. In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), CEO Elon Musk revealed that the company plans to conduct the 12th test flight of the Starship rocket as soon as early March 2026.

Flight 12 will try to extend that run of success while also breaking in the new "Version 3" of Starship. Among other modifications, this variant is a bit taller than its predecessors and will also be the first to employ SpaceX's new Raptor 3 engine.

The launch date had been up in the air after the rocket's booster stage suffered an explosion during testing in November.

SpaceX is gearing up to debut Starship’s Version 3, testing the upgraded rocket’s ability to reach orbit for the first time as the company races to fly missions to the Moon and Mars. SpaceX CEO and founder Elon Musk announced on X that Starship’s upcoming launch is in six weeks,

SpaceX’s giant Starship rocket is poised for its first flight of 2026, and the schedule is finally starting to come into focus. The next mission is expected to debut a new generation of hardware while setting the tone for a year that could decide how ...