The next-generation Super Heavy has been fully fuelled for the first time in record time as SpaceX prepares to launch Starship.

Super Heavy Booster 19 completes its first full wet dress rehearsal on Pad 2 ahead of Flight 12

SpaceX has carried out a key test milestone for the Super Heavy Booster 19: for the first time, it underwent a full propellant load on the launch pad without igniting its engines. The procedure took around 30 minutes, which is regarded as record pace for an operation of this kind.

This trial forms part of preparations for the next Starship mission, Flight 12. On Pad 2, what was effectively the first wet dress rehearsal took place, during which all essential pre-launch systems are checked, including the loading of cryogenic propellants.

The total propellant mass is approximately 3,650 metric tonnes (8.05 million pounds). Liquid methane (fuel) is roughly 700 to 1,000 metric tonnes; liquid oxygen (oxidiser) is about 2,700 metric tonnes.

Earlier at Starbase in Texas, a static fire test was conducted on Super Heavy Booster 19, which is being readied for the 12th test flight of the Starship system.

Super Heavy Booster 19 is the first to be fitted with the latest Raptor 3 engines. Raptor 3 represents a major step forward: compared with Raptor 2, the SpaceX Raptor 3 engine delivers higher thrust (around 280 tonnes versus 230), improved efficiency, reduced mass and, crucially, it does not require external thermal protection thanks to integrated cooling systems. It is markedly simpler, far cheaper to manufacture (by about a factor of 4), and is designed for reuse on Starship V3.

Total thrust for Super Heavy V3 will exceed 10,000 tonnes. As a result, Starship V3 will be able to place more than 100 tonnes of payload into low Earth orbit in a fully reusable configuration - almost three times more than Starship V2.

In addition, we previously reported that SpaceX has, for the first time, completed a full-duration static fire test of Starship V3. The Ship 39 prototype on the Massey’s test stand at Starbase successfully ignited all of its Raptor engines, which ran without issues. Elon Musk confirmed that the test went well.

The rocket launch is expected in May 2026.