Tootfinder

The 12th test flight of a #Starship was a mixed bag: good lift-off, loss of the booster, Starship limping into orbit, deployments fine, no Raptor relighting, fun reentry, RUD at the very end as planned. See https://skyweek.wordpress.com/2026/05/21/starship-vor-dem-12-test-erster-der-version-3 for maaany more screencaps from the webcast!

This is, from #Starship to inspect it from the outside with cameras on its booms - according to https://x.com/SpaceX/status/2057845419523117292 the next launch attempt will be tonight between 22:30 and 0:00 UTC, with a webcast from 21:58 UTC at https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1pKkOykQRgNKj

While there was no #Starship launch the #SpaceX webcast contained two unexpected segments, one about a vague plan of a space tourist flight - #Starlink Stargaze system described in https://starlink.com/updates/stargaze and https://breakingdefense.com/2026/01/spacex-unveils-stargaze-space-tracking-system/ and https://smallsatnews.com/2026/02/18/spacex-unveils-stargaze-system-to-revolutionize-space-traffic-management/: apparently there are numerous unlisted satellites in LEO which come so close to the Starlinks that cameras on the latter see them as bright objects. How could those objects have been missed by all space surveillance from the ground?

The first version 3 #Starship didn't go anywhere on the first attempt: first the launch was delayed twice by 1/2 hour, then it recycled again and again to t-40 seconds - because the hydraulic pin holding the tower arm in place did not retract: https://x.com/elonmusk/status/2057609682865254695 - until the time ran out. It it unclear whether the next attempt can come already 24 hours later or only next week the earliest.

The new t-zero for the #Starship test flight no. 12 is 23:30 UTC after two (unexplained) delays: independent webcasts are already on at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcNsHf607hU and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBu6JFjt0tk with the official one at https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1YxNrZwwomNxw now scheduled for 22:43 UTC.

The twelfth flight test of #Starship is preparing to launch as soon as Tuesday, May 19: https://x.com/SpaceX/status/2054304050338750931 - the launch window will open at 22:30 UTC.