SpaceX flies to Starbase on eve of Starship V3 debut

SpaceX flew from Los Angeles to Brownsville on May 18, touching down at South Padre Island International Airport after a 2-hour-52-minute hop. The high-capacity 737-800, a workhorse shuttle for the company's workforce, arrived at a moment of peak activity at Starbase.

The same week, SpaceX is targeting May 19 for the debut of Starship V3, the significantly upgraded megarocket that has never flown before. Per Space.com, the launch window opens at 6:30 p.m. ET from Orbital Launch Pad 2, and the mission will test new Raptor 3 engines, a redesigned propulsion system, and simulated Starlink deployments. The flight marks the first Starship launch since October 2025.

The timing is no coincidence: this shuttle route runs LAX to Brownsville roughly three times a week, but the frequency has increased as hardware preparations ramped up. The aircraft's last five flights all shuttled between these two hubs, with the most recent round-trip occurring less than 48 hours before the scheduled launch. If the rocket flies, the crew on board will have front-row seats to history.