How to watch SpaceX launch its 1st Starship V3 megarocket on May 21

SpaceX’s Starship V3 megarocket will conduct its first flight on May 21, lifting off from the company’s Starbase site in South Texas during a 90-minute window opening at 6:30 p.m. EDT. This marks the 12th Starship test flight overall, with coverage beginning 45 minutes before liftoff on SpaceX’s website. The mission aims for a suborbital trajectory, deploying 20 dummy Starlink satellites and two modified Starlink V3 satellites to test heat shield durability. The modified satellites will scan Starship’s heat shield and transmit data to assess readiness for future missions. The Super Heavy booster will splash down in the Gulf of Mexico seven minutes after launch, followed by the upper stage in the Indian Ocean 58 minutes later. Starship V3 represents the largest and most advanced iteration of the rocket, designed for future lunar and Mars missions. NASA has selected Starship as one of two crewed landers for its Artemis program, adding urgency to the test’s success. Previous flights, including Flight 10 and Flight 11, achieved controlled splashdowns and payload deployment, setting the stage for this critical milestone.