SpaceX Starship V3 Lifts Off: Flight 12 Reaches SECO

📌 UPDATE — May 25, 2026

Following SECO, SpaceX has confirmed Starship's Ship successfully completed its flip maneuver and landing burn during Flight 12 — a critical milestone on the path to full upper-stage reusability. SpaceX shared official video footage of the sequence, with observers noting the camera angle offered a uniquely striking view not commonly seen in previous tests. The successful execution of this maneuver, even with one engine out earlier in the flight, underscores the robustness of Starship V3's flight profile.

📹 Watch the official SpaceX flip & landing burn video →

📌 UPDATE — May 23, 2026

Starship V3 has now confirmed a successful landing burn over the Indian Ocean, marking a key milestone beyond SECO for Flight 12. SpaceX also revealed that both Starship and Super Heavy V3 are equipped with upgraded 4K cameras capable of streaming high-resolution video through every phase of flight via Starlink — a significant leap in onboard imaging over previous versions.

📌 UPDATE — May 23, 2026

Elon Musk confirmed post-flight that the Starship V3 heat shield held well during Flight 12 — a significant milestone for the vehicle's thermal protection system development. Separately, space journalist Eric Berger highlighted a visualization showcasing the markedly improved capabilities of the V3 boost stage compared to previous iterations, underscoring how much performance has grown across Starship generations.

📌 UPDATE — May 23, 2026

SpaceX has released an official post-flight statement confirming that Super Heavy ignited all 33 Raptor 3 engines and that only a single Raptor shut down during ascent — with the first-stage flight deemed a success. SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell praised the team, calling it an "incredible first flight of a brand new vehicle" and saying humanity's multi-planetary future "has become so much closer." SpaceX also shared a series of stunning launch photos and video highlights from Flight 12 across their official channels.

"Congrats and a huge thank you to the SpaceX team that always delivers. This was an incredible first flight of a brand new vehicle. Our collective future flying amongst the stars has become so much closer." — Gwynne Shotwell (@Gwynne_Shotwell)

📌 UPDATE — May 23, 2026

SpaceX has now confirmed a fully successful Starship V3 Flight 12, completing not just SECO but also the first-ever Starship V3 landing — a milestone beyond what was initially reported. Elon Musk took to X to congratulate the SpaceX team, calling it an "epic first Starship V3 launch & landing" and saying the team "scored a goal for humanity." The successful catch/landing marks a major leap forward for full reusability of the world's most powerful rocket.

📌 UPDATE — May 23, 2026

Following SECO, Starship executed a banking maneuver designed to mimic the final approach for a future return-to-Starbase catch — a key milestone in proving out the Ship catch architecture. The flight concluded with a nominal splashdown in the Indian Ocean. In a striking demonstration of Starlink's capabilities, SpaceX also shared footage of Starship in space captured by an orbiting Starlink satellite.

🛰️ Starship seen from Starlink satellite

🔄 Banking maneuver for future catch rehearsal

📌 UPDATE — May 22, 2026

Flight 12 has now crossed additional major milestones beyond SECO: SpaceX confirmed Starship successfully deployed modified Starlink satellites and simulators on orbit — a first for the program. Hot-staging separation and the full ascent burn both executed nominally, with live views streamed via Starlink. A recovery team has been deployed in one of Earth's most remote environments to collect critical return data. SpaceX also highlighted Starship's pivotal role in NASA's Artemis program, transporting crew and cargo to the lunar surface.

📌 UPDATE — May 22, 2026

New details from Flight 12 confirm Booster 19 suffered multiple engine failures during its boost-back burn — not just a minor anomaly — resulting in an uncontrolled hard landing in the Gulf of Mexico. Despite the dramatic booster loss, Ship 39 successfully reached SECO on five of its six Raptors, with the engine shutdown confirmed on camera. On the payload side, observers noted a significant improvement to Starlink deployment: satellites were dispensed without the dispenser needing to retract to a "running start" position between releases, a notable upgrade over previous flights. SpaceX streamed the booster's descent all the way to impact, drawing widespread praise for the transparency of the live coverage.

"The first stage booster made an uncontrolled, hard landing in the Gulf, with pretty incredible views right up until the end. Starship reached space despite one of its Raptor engines failing." — @SciGuySpace