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Space.com • Mike Wall

SpaceX targets May 19 for Starship V3 IFT-12 at Starbase’s Launch Pad 2

SpaceX has set a May 19 target for the 12th Starship integrated flight test (IFT-12), marking the debut of Starship Version 3 on the vehicle’s next iteration path. The date follows an integrated tanking test completed Monday, as the company lines up pad and ground readiness at Launch Pad 2.

2026-05-12T16:06:20.743251-07:00

SpaceNews.com

FCC approval for SpaceX’s EchoStar spectrum purchase: satellite broadband spectrum sharing modernization plus $2.4B escrow condi

2026-05-12T16:35:38.746696-07:00

NASA Spaceflight

SpaceX CRS-34 Dragon cargo mission to ISS targets May 12-13 launch from Cape Canaveral after 24-hour delay

2026-05-12T13:58:25.987638-07:00

Via Satellite

AST SpaceMobile reaffirms 45 BlueBird satellites in 2026 and readies mid-June SpaceX launch after a Blue Origin failure

2026-05-12T14:01:37.740391-07:00

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SpaceNews.com

FCC approval for SpaceX’s EchoStar spectrum purchase: satellite broadband spectrum sharing modernization plus $2.4B escrow condi The FCC has approved SpaceX’s acquisition of EchoStar spectrum to expand US direct-to-device services, tying the deal to a $2.4 billion escrow linked to disputes over EchoStar’s abandoned terrestrial 5G buildout. Separately, FCC Report and Order 26-26 sets a framework for spectrum sharing and D2D, alongside an upper C-band auction deadline of mid-2027.

2026-05-12T16:35:38.746696-07:00

FCC approval for SpaceX’s EchoStar spectrum purchase: satellite broadband spectrum sharing modernization plus $2.4B escrow condi

Space.com

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SpaceX targets May 19 for Starship V3 IFT-12 at Starbase’s Launch Pad 2 SpaceX has set a May 19 target for the 12th Starship integrated flight test (IFT-12), marking the debut of Starship Version 3 on the vehicle’s next iteration path. The date follows an integrated tanking test completed Monday, as the company lines up pad and ground readiness at Launch Pad 2.

2026-05-12T16:06:20.743251-07:00

SpaceX targets May 19 for Starship V3 IFT-12 at Starbase’s Launch Pad 2

Via Satellite

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AST SpaceMobile reaffirms 45 BlueBird satellites in 2026 and readies mid-June SpaceX launch after a Blue Origin failure AST SpaceMobile says it will still aim to place 45 BlueBird satellites in orbit this year after a Blue Origin launch failure. The company’s CEO Abel Avellan also indicated preparations for a mid-June SpaceX mission launching three BlueBird satellites. AST reports direct-to-device broadband performance of 98.9 Mbps to standard smartphones at sea, unchanged hardware.

2026-05-12T14:01:37.740391-07:00

AST SpaceMobile reaffirms 45 BlueBird satellites in 2026 and readies mid-June SpaceX launch after a Blue Origin failure

NASA Spaceflight

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SpaceX CRS-34 Dragon cargo mission to ISS targets May 12-13 launch from Cape Canaveral after 24-hour delay SpaceX is preparing Falcon 9 and Cargo Dragon for NASA’s CRS-34 Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The flight was pushed about 24 hours and now targets launch around 6:50 p.m. ET, weather permitting.

2026-05-12T13:58:25.987638-07:00

SpaceX CRS-34 Dragon cargo mission to ISS targets May 12-13 launch from Cape Canaveral after 24-hour delay

Space.com

NASA’s Psyche spacecraft to use a Mars gravity assist with a close flyby May 15 NASA’s Psyche solar-electric asteroid probe, launched Oct. 13, 2023, will fly within 3,000 miles of Mars on May 15 to gain energy for its journey to the metallic asteroid Psyche. Mission planners will leverage Mars’ gravity alongside xenon-fueled propulsion to shape the interplanetary trajectory.

2026-05-12T08:11:48.565672-07:00

NASA’s Psyche spacecraft to use a Mars gravity assist with a close flyby May 15

Payload

Fenix completes tow-launch prototype test campaign, demonstrating launch- and landing-capable operations without a pad Fenix Space has completed a week-long test campaign validating a tow-launch prototype’s ability to take off and land without using a launch pad. The results advance the company’s push for simpler ground operations and more flexible launch-style vehicle handling.

2026-05-12T05:28:25.340734-07:00

Fenix completes tow-launch prototype test campaign, demonstrating launch- and landing-capable operations without a pad

Space.com

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SpaceX stacks, fuels and runs full wet dress rehearsal for Starship V3 Super Heavy as Booster 19 eyes a May test flight SpaceX has stacked and fueled a new Starship V3 configuration for the first time, including a full wet dress rehearsal of Ship 39 and Booster 19 on Starbase’s Pad 2. Separate reporting says all 33 Super Heavy engines were fired on the pad, with an anticipated first V3 flight in mid-May (May 15 or as soon as May 19).

2026-05-12T03:58:49.180951-07:00

SpaceX stacks, fuels and runs full wet dress rehearsal for Starship V3 Super Heavy as Booster 19 eyes a May test flight

SpaceWatch Global

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Lockheed Martin, Seagate Space and Firefly Aerospace team on sea-based launch mission concepts and flight demos Lockheed Martin, Seagate Space and Firefly Aerospace will collaborate on mission-application concepts and flight-demonstration projects using Seagate’s Gateway offshore launch platform. The effort extends their work to operationalize maritime launch options for national-security payloads, linking systems integration with offshore infrastructure validation.

2026-05-12T00:56:56.937973-07:00

Lockheed Martin, Seagate Space and Firefly Aerospace team on sea-based launch mission concepts and flight demos

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Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation News

SpaceX targets May 19 for Starship V3 IFT-12 at Starbase’s Launch Pad 2

FCC approval for SpaceX’s EchoStar spectrum purchase: satellite broadband spectrum sharing modernization plus $2.4B escrow condi

SpaceX CRS-34 Dragon cargo mission to ISS targets May 12-13 launch from Cape Canaveral after 24-hour delay

AST SpaceMobile reaffirms 45 BlueBird satellites in 2026 and readies mid-June SpaceX launch after a Blue Origin failure

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