NASA’s Artemis III, now planned for 2027, will test two competing lunar landers from SpaceX and Blue Origin by rendezvousing with an Orion capsule in Earth orbit and docking with a lunar lander variant of Starship or Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 2.

SpaceX’s Starship V3 is facing delays, with the first flight now expected in roughly four to six weeks from late March 2026, delaying the maiden voyage of the upgraded stainless-steel Starship.

If Starship V3 isn’t ready in time for Artemis III, NASA could pursue alternative arrangements, potentially altering SpaceX’s role in the program.

There was a prior May 2025 incident where a Raptor 2 engine test at the Texas facility ended in a flameout/explosion.

SpaceX confirmed a static-fire test on X (formerly Twitter), noting it was completed ahead of the next flight test.

Details about subsequent tests, timelines, and booster configurations are being provided as SpaceX moves toward Flight 12.

At the time, the explosion’s cause had not been confirmed and SpaceX had not issued official details.

Starship has completed 11 suborbital flights to date, with the last five conducted by the V2 variant as of late 2025.

Blue Origin’s Mark 2 lander is a 52-foot-tall reusable system capable of carrying up to 22 tons of cargo, with Pathfinder/Mark 1 work progressing on life-support and vacuum testing for possible 2027 demonstrations, including a VIPER rover mission if successful.

The Starship V3 debut program began with Booster 19’s shorter 10-engine static fire, marking progression toward the maiden flight.

A full-duration static fire of Starship V3 at Starbase, Texas, signals Flight 12 is imminent and clears the path for the next major test.

The static-fire event is framed as a critical milestone helping maintain momentum toward the first Starship V3 flight.