Starship V3 Blasts Off on Flight 12 - Captured by Its Own “Dodger Dogs” in Orbit
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May 22 2026 - In a clever twist, two specially modified Starlink satellites nicknamed “Dodger Dogs” successfully captured VIDEO of the new Starship Version 3 while both were soaring
through space.
SpaceX launched Starship Flight 12 on Friday, May 22, 2026, from the new Pad 2 at Starbase, Texas.
This mission marked the debut of the upgraded Starship V3 design (Ship 39 paired with Booster 19), featuring more powerful Raptor 3 engines and improved heat shielding.
The flight had a strong start: clean liftoff and successful hot-staging separation.
The upper stage reached space on a suborbital trajectory and deployed 22 Starlink simulators, including the two camera-equipped “Dodger Dogs.”
The special camera equipped "Dodger Dog" satellites captured impressive imagery of Starship’s heat shield tiles in orbit.
The upper stage later performed a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean. The Super Heavy booster completed its boostback and landing burns but did not achieve a soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico, resulting in a harder impact.
SpaceX is reviewing all data from this first V3 flight, including the valuable self-inspection imagery from the Dodger Dogs.
Despite the booster anomaly, the mission advances Starship closer to full reusability for Moon and Mars missions.
Starship V3 Blasts Off on Flight 12 - Captured by Its Own “Dodger Dogs” in Orbit