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Space.com • Mike Wall

SpaceX targets May 19 for IFT-12 using redesigned Starship V3/“biggest” Super Heavy launch at Starbase’s Launch Pad 2

SpaceX says it is targeting May 19 for the 12th Starship Integrated Flight Test (IFT-12), following a successful integrated tanking test on Monday. Reporting tied to the campaign frames May 19 as the maiden flight of the redesigned Starship V3, with next steps geared toward a major follow-on Starship Super Heavy test launch in late May.

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

NASA Spaceflight

SpaceX CRS-34 Cargo Dragon mission to ISS: Falcon 9 launch targeted for 6:50 p.m. ET from Cape Canaveral

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

SpaceNews.com

FCC greenlights SpaceX’s EchoStar spectrum purchase for US direct-to-device—ties approval to $2.4B escrow amid upper C-band tran

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

Via Satellite

AST SpaceMobile keeps 2026 target at 45 BlueBird satellites, pairs direct-to-device demo (98.9 Mbps) with SpaceX launch plan

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

News Timeline

SpaceNews.com

FCC greenlights SpaceX’s EchoStar spectrum purchase for US direct-to-device—ties approval to $2.4B escrow amid upper C-band tran The FCC has approved SpaceX’s acquisition of EchoStar spectrum to expand U.S. direct-to-device services, contingent on a $2.4 billion escrow arrangement linked to disputes over EchoStar’s abandoned terrestrial 5G buildout. Separately, the FCC’s FCC 26-26 report formalizes a broader shift to spectrum sharing and mandates auctions of remaining Upper C-band by mid-2027.

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

FCC greenlights SpaceX’s EchoStar spectrum purchase for US direct-to-device—ties approval to $2.4B escrow amid upper C-band tran

Space.com

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SpaceX targets May 19 for IFT-12 using redesigned Starship V3/“biggest” Super Heavy launch at Starbase’s Launch Pad 2 SpaceX says it is targeting May 19 for the 12th Starship Integrated Flight Test (IFT-12), following a successful integrated tanking test on Monday. Reporting tied to the campaign frames May 19 as the maiden flight of the redesigned Starship V3, with next steps geared toward a major follow-on Starship Super Heavy test launch in late May.

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

SpaceX targets May 19 for IFT-12 using redesigned Starship V3/“biggest” Super Heavy launch at Starbase’s Launch Pad 2

Via Satellite

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AST SpaceMobile keeps 2026 target at 45 BlueBird satellites, pairs direct-to-device demo (98.9 Mbps) with SpaceX launch plan AST SpaceMobile says it still expects to have 45 BlueBird satellites in orbit this year after a recent Blue Origin launch failure, with CEO Abel Avellan pointing to a mid-June SpaceX mission launching three BlueBirds. The company also reported a direct-to-device broadband test reaching 98.9 Mbps from space to a standard smartphone. In parallel, it issued a business update and first-quarter 2026 results.

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

AST SpaceMobile keeps 2026 target at 45 BlueBird satellites, pairs direct-to-device demo (98.9 Mbps) with SpaceX launch plan

NASA Spaceflight

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SpaceX CRS-34 Cargo Dragon mission to ISS: Falcon 9 launch targeted for 6:50 p.m. ET from Cape Canaveral SpaceX is preparing the CRS-34 Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station, launching Falcon 9 with Cargo Dragon from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Coverage focuses on the live countdown and a 24-hour schedule slip affecting the latest launch window, with weather pending.

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

SpaceX CRS-34 Cargo Dragon mission to ISS: Falcon 9 launch targeted for 6:50 p.m. ET from Cape Canaveral

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 IFT-12 using redesigned Starship V3/“biggest” Super Heavy launch at Starbase’s Launch Pad 2

SpaceX CRS-34 Cargo Dragon mission to ISS: Falcon 9 launch targeted for 6:50 p.m. ET from Cape Canaveral

FCC greenlights SpaceX’s EchoStar spectrum purchase for US direct-to-device—ties approval to $2.4B escrow amid upper C-band tran

AST SpaceMobile keeps 2026 target at 45 BlueBird satellites, pairs direct-to-device demo (98.9 Mbps) with SpaceX launch plan

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