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SpaceX has successfully completed cryogenic proof testing on the next-generation Starship upper stage vehicle, known as Ship 39, as well as its paired Super Heavy booster, Booster 19, at the company’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas. These milestones mark key pre-flight preparations for the upcoming Starship Flight 12 (IFT-12), the first test incorporating Version 3 (V3) hardware upgrades aimed at enabling full rapid reusability.
The testing campaign for Ship 39, the inaugural Starship V3 prototype, involved multiple rounds over several days. It began with an ambient pressure test, followed by three separate cryogenic proof tests. During these operations, engineers loaded the vehicle’s tanks with cryogenic propellants—liquid oxygen and liquid methane—to verify the redesigned propellant system and assess structural integrity under extreme conditions. Additional “squeeze tests” were performed to simulate the mechanical forces expected during future booster catches using the launch tower’s chopstick arms. SpaceX announced the completion of cryoproof operations for Ship 39, noting it as the first such campaign for a V3 Starship.
Following the tests, Ship 39 was rolled back from the Massey’s test site to the production area for further preparations.
Ship 39 cryoproof operations complete, the first campaign with a next generation Starship V3.
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 8, 2026
Across several days, engineers tested the vehicle’s redesigned propellant system and its structural strength, including squeeze tests to mimic the forces of future ship catches pic.twitter.com/aFtCYIqwLh
Booster 19, the corresponding V3 Super Heavy booster equipped with initial Raptor 3 engines, underwent its own successful cryogenic proof testing campaign earlier in February 2026 at the Massey’s site. The booster completed multiple full-duration cryo loads, including full tank fills that resulted in heavy frost coverage and visible venting, confirming its structural strength and propellant handling capabilities.
Upgrades at Massey’s allowed for more comprehensive full-fill tests than in prior campaigns.After completing cryo testing, Booster 19 was transported along the Starbase road—often referred to as Highway 4—to the newly commissioned Pad 2 at the launch site. The rollout positioned the booster on the orbital launch mount for upcoming pre-launch activities, including potential spin prime tests, tanking operations, and a planned static fire test of its Raptor 3 engines. This marks the first use of Pad 2 for major Starship booster testing, supporting the expanded operations needed for V3 vehicles.
These cryo tests and rollouts represent critical steps in validating the V3 design changes, which include over 100 upgrades across the stack to improve reliability, reusability, and performance ahead of more ambitious missions, including potential lunar and Mars applications. SpaceX has indicated that Flight 12 could occur as early as April 2026, pending final integrations and regulatory approvals.
Cryoproof operations complete for the first time with a Super Heavy V3 booster. This multi-day campaign tested the booster's redesigned propellant systems and its structural strength pic.twitter.com/RpMQ1DoT5x
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) February 10, 2026
Over the coming days, we’ll conduct a series of tests to activate Pad 2 at Starbase, exercise new propellant loading operations, and operate a vehicle with new Raptor 3 engines installed for the first time pic.twitter.com/rLtOx9l2c1
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 9, 2026
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