SpaceX Starship B19 Did Something Never Done before! Ready for Launch in Days…

Hello Space Nerds and Rocket Chasers. Welcome back to another high energy episode of Great SpaceX where the sky is looking busy. It's officially the second week of May in the year 2026 and we have a fresh batch of aerospace updates making your heart race faster than a Raptor engine on a test stand. Today is a total power move with the third major show of force from the Raptor 3 and the absolute unit that is Starship V3. We just had another static fire test that actually went according to plan so it's time to start that mental countdown to flight 12. NASA just opened its wallet by increasing the value of the CLPS program, a massive we are winning this moon race signal. Meanwhile in the corporate world of New Job Who Dis, a former NASA leader has officially stepped into the role of CEO at Quantum Space. Let's find out what this means for our future before my coffee gets cold on today's episode of Great SpaceX. Just a few days ago when SpaceX started being suspiciously honest about problems they were having during the testing process, a lot of us were left wondering if we were ever going to see another test. The uncertainty was living rent free in my head, but the movements on the morning of May 6th combined with that earlier launch delay finally gave us the answer we were craving. Yes, another test was definitely on the menu and the expectations were higher than my rent because the aft section of the B-19 booster actually got a fresh coat of paint. It looked a lot more complete and put together than it did during previous tests, which is honestly more than I can say for myself after a long weekend, if you know you know. There were also whispers that some major improvements to the engines had been tucked under the hood making this specific test a very big deal for the V3 evolution. As the schedule dictated, the testing effort proceeded with the kind of precision that makes my own attempts at scheduling look like a total joke. Before anything actually caught fire, SpaceX did its usual keep back routine by closing the local roads and making sure the launch pad was completely cleared of anyone who didn't have a very good reason to be there. We then got to see a series of pre-test rituals, including the grid fin test and the detonation suppression system test, both of which are vital for making sure the pad doesn't turn into a crater. After that, the fuel started flowing and we watched the liquid oxygen tank get fully loaded while the methane tank took on a partial load for the ride. SpaceX has shown us time and time again how good they are at this frosty loading process, achieving full wet dress rehearsals with rapid loading speeds of just 35 minutes. Of course, the engineers still have to be careful about the downsides of constantly loading and unloading fuel as it can actually reduce the lifespan of the tanks over time. We're all hoping they have double checked the structural integrity for the upcoming flight because nobody wants a rapid unscheduled disassembly on the ground. Returning to the actual test, once the fuel was sitting pretty, the real show started with the operation of the flame trench and its massive water deluge system. Water started spraying forth from both ends and the top, creating a protective misty shield to help soak up the insane heat and pressure about to be unleashed. Then the 33 engines activated in what looked like a perfectly synchronized dance, which is a huge change from the sequential firing we used to see in the older versions. Those engines immediately generated over 9,000 tons of power, which is about 20.3 million pounds of thrust for those of you who prefer the imperial system. To put that in perspective, that's officially the world's most powerful take-off thrust and it looked absolutely terrifying in the best possible way. The sheer power was demonstrated by the massive plumes of smoke and dust that were blown out of both ends of the flame trench like a giant's hair dryer. Thankfully, a ton of high-quality test footage was captured, allowing us to replay the moment over and over until our eyes hurt. SpaceX eventually released the official video of the event with a very straightforward message, full duration and full thrust 33 engine static fire with super heavy V3. Even Musk got in on the action, reposting the tweet with the short and sweet message, Starship static fire. Way to be Mr. Obvious. The real main character energy of this test was the fact that the thrust was sustained for a full 14 seconds, which is longer than any previous attempt. This suggests that those pesky engine issues like faulty sensors or the quirks of the new simplified upgrades have finally been wrestled into submission. Longer sustained thrust means better performance and higher reliability, which is exactly what we need to see before we put this thing over the ocean. The launch system also deserves a gold star for its support role as no major problems were reported from the ground hardware this time around. However, there was a bit of collateral damage when a car's windshield nearby decided to shatter under the sheer acoustic pressure of the engines. It just goes to show that 20 million pounds of thrust does not care about your insurance premium, so maybe don't park your sedan right next to the world's largest rocket. With these successes in the bag, SpaceX is clearly poised to move toward Flight 12 with a level of confidence that is borderline intimidating. We have to remember that this flight absolutely demands success because it is the inaugural mission for the V3 architecture and all the expectations that come with it. SpaceX has been preparing for this specific moment for a very long time and the results will dictate the entire schedule for everything that comes after it. If this flight goes well, it will prove that the months of careful, agonizing preparation were totally worth the wait for the team and the fans. For those of you who have been waiting patiently for SpaceX to get back in the air, this successful test is like the ultimate pre-show reward. Now it's time to look at the next steps and even though the May 8th test was cancelled, SpaceX still has a window scheduled for the 9th from 8 in the morning to 8 in the evening. So what is actually going to happen during that 12 hour window of opportunity? The most likely scenario right now is a full wet dress rehearsal, which is the final big test they do before every single flight to make sure the plumbing works. SpaceX has actually skipped this test on a few recent flights, but since this is the first V3 flight, bringing it back feels like a necessary safety check. The big question on everyone's mind is whether or not the test will involve the actual Starship being stacked on top of the booster. The boosters will likely stay at the pad for their checks, while the ship known as S39 has actually had a much more successful testing campaign than B19 so far. S39 had its last test on April 14th, which gave the crew plenty of time to install the flight termination system and the actual payload. It looks like the ship is ready to roll and the transport stand was spotted arriving at The transport schedule from the production site to the pad was set for the 8th, though it hit a slight snag and was delayed by a few hours. It sounds like there was a minor issue with the chopsticks on the launch tower, possibly because the force of the recent test was just that intense. Once it arrives, S39 will be stacked onto B19 and we will finally get to see the Starship V3 in its full majestic and slightly terrifying form. If that full wet dress rehearsal goes according to plan, we are officially on a one-way track to the launch of Flight 12. SpaceX is moving with the kind of speed that makes me dizzy trying to get everything locked in before that new launch window opens on the 15th. It's time for all those high stakes emotions to return after more than half a year of waiting and I am here for all of it. Please respond with a here we go in the comments if you're ready to see some history being made in South Texas. And while you're at it, please like the video and subscribe to our channel to stay in the loop on Flight 12 and the rest of the aerospace industry. Subscribing is a massive help for our team and we are currently sitting at over 198,400 subscribers, which means we are so close to the 200k mark and I can almost taste it. I know there are a lot of you watching right now who haven't hit that button yet, so please help us reach that milestone so we can keep bringing you these updates. We're thrilled, especially myself, by your support and that same energy is fueling incredible progress in space exploration. Up next, NASA's CLPS, which is essentially a delivery app for the moon, is getting a massive and expensive update to support upcoming Artemis missions. An April 27th procurement filing revealed NASA intends to jack up the total contract value from $2.6 billion to a whopping $4.2 billion. With 13 companies competing and $2 billion already handed out, the current pace of two missions per year is about to explode. NASA is targeting 9 landings in 2027 and 10 in 2028 looking toward the moon base and the upcoming CLPS 2.0. Joel Kearns stated, We're looking into opportunities to buy into that ramp of demand for the very short term even as we work on issuing the CLPS 2.0 contract competition. We have to start ramping now, into this noon, into this higher cadence with a target of monthly landings, to bring some of the things to the surface very, very soon for moon base. Monthly moon landings might sound like a sci-fi novel, but landing companies are already doing a victory dance over the news. Dan Hendrickson from Astrobotic noted they have already scaled facilities, stating, We've got the basic DNA and roadmap. We're starting from a place in which we have facilities that were intended to have multiple landers in development. Firefly's Farah Zuberi emphasized that the market signal is vital, saying, There's a lot of creative solutions that we can come up with. Having that signal is really important. We know that this is coming. We can set ourselves up for success. Blue Origin is finishing its Endurance lander, while already manufacturing parts for a second lander for the 2027 Viper mission. The supply chain remains a hurdle, but Ben Bussey from Intuitive Machines says the key is knowing the chain can keep up with the pace. Eddie Seyfert from Blue Origin highlighted the shift, saying, Going to bill-to-print landers is maybe the response to the signal. We're going to bill-to-print dozens of landers to help NASA achieve its goals. The moon race is definitely heating up, and it will be fascinating to see how this investment translates into actual robots on the ground. That same surge of ambition is reshaping the industry. Quantum Space just made a serious power move by appointing former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine as their new CEO. Co-founder Cam Gaffarian said in a statement, Jim is a transformational leader and has defined the most significant partnerships and policy initiatives between government and the commercial space industry. Jim is poised to lead Quantum during this next phase of growth and is spending on space defense, and as spending on space defense and exploration accelerates, the Maryland-based company is banking on its modular Ranger spacecraft to be a versatile workhorse in the stars. Ranger is designed to operate everywhere from low-Earth orbit to the space between Earth and the Moon using patented propulsion technology. Bridenstine's first official statement sounded very focused on the strategic side of high-level space defense. He said, The theory of competitive endurance requires avoiding operational surprise, denying first-mover advantage, and counter-space campaigning. Quantum's Ranger spacecraft is uniquely crafted to deliver on each pillar. While Ranger hasn't left the ground yet, a recent $80 million U.S. fundraising round has the Ranger Prime mission targeting a mid-2027 launch. If that test flight goes well, they will move on to operational missions like missile defense and satellite life extension. Adding a former NASA chief to the roster is a huge move for a company with such ambitious plans for commercial and military space. It's going to be incredibly interesting to see how Quantum's space develops under his leadership in the coming years. That brings us to the end of today's episode of Great SpaceX, and I really appreciate you all hanging out with me. Thank you so much for tuning in and being part of this awesome community of space fans. As always, this has been Kevin, reminding you that the future is closer than it looks. Until next time, keep your eyes on the stars and keep looking up.