#StarshipAimsForThursdayLaunch SpaceX Targets Thursday for Starship Flight 13 After Engine Abort

SpaceX is gearing up for its second attempt at the 13th test flight of the Starship rocket, now scheduled for Thursday, July 23, 2026, following a last-second abort during the initial launch attempt on July 16.

Launch Details

The 90‑minute launch window will open at 5:45 p.m. CT (6:45 p.m. ET / 22:45 GMT) from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in South Texas, near Boca Chica Beach. A live webcast is scheduled to begin approximately 30 minutes before liftoff on SpaceX’s website and X account.

What Happened on July 16

During the first launch attempt, several of the Super Heavy booster’s 33 Raptor engines failed to ignite at T‑0, triggering an automatic abort in the final seconds before liftoff. Elon Musk confirmed that two engines would be removed and replaced. The company initially rescheduled for Monday, July 20, but later pushed the attempt to Thursday to complete additional work on the propulsion system.

Mission Objectives

Flight 13 marks the second outing for the third‑generation (V3) Starship and Super Heavy vehicles. The mission’s primary objectives include:

· Successful launch, ascent, stage separation, and boostback burn – followed by a landing burn at an offshore point in the Gulf of Mexico.
· Deployment of 20 Starlink V3 satellites – the first time operational Starlink satellites (rather than mockups) will be carried aboard Starship. These next‑generation satellites are larger and heavier than those launched on Falcon 9 rockets. They will extend their solar arrays and antennas, then attempt to connect with the broader Starlink constellation via high‑capacity lasers. The satellites will remain on the same suborbital trajectory as Starship and are expected to burn up upon reentry approximately 20 minutes after deployment.
· In‑space relight of a single Raptor engine – a critical maneuver needed for future orbital missions.
· Controlled reentry, descent, and splashdown of the Starship upper stage in the Indian Ocean.
· Heat shield imaging experiments – six of the Starlink satellites have been fitted with cameras to scan Starship’s heat shield during descent and transmit imagery back to operators. Several heat shield tiles have also been painted white to simulate missing tiles, serving as imaging targets.

Hardware and Software Upgrades

SpaceX has implemented multiple modifications following issues on Flight 12 (May 23, 2026):

· Booster flip and boostback burn – On Flight 12, slight differences in engine startup caused the booster’s directional flip to be off by approximately 90 degrees. The startup sequence has been modified for greater robustness. Additionally, five engines experienced issues during re‑light for the boostback burn; hardware modifications have been made to improve re‑light reliability.
· Starship propulsion – Approximately 40 seconds after stage separation on Flight 12, the upper stage lost one of its three Raptor vacuum engines. The vehicle demonstrated engine‑out capability, but hardware and operational modifications have been made to address the interconnected causes.
· Propulsion system enhancements – Additional work has been done to address the ignition fault that caused the July 16 abort.

Why This Mission Matters

This flight carries significant weight for several reasons:

· Starlink V3 deployment – The V3 satellites are critical to expanding Starlink’s network capacity and user speeds. SpaceX needs Starship to launch these larger satellites at scale. A successful deployment demonstration is a key step toward that capability.
· Public company pressure – SpaceX is now a public company following its IPO, and the stock has fallen below its $135 IPO price. A successful flight could help restore investor confidence.
· NASA Artemis and beyond – Starship is central to NASA’s Artemis program for returning humans to the lunar surface, as well as Musk’s long‑term vision of Mars colonization. Each test flight brings the vehicle closer to operational readiness.

Looking Ahead

There will be no attempt to catch the Super Heavy booster with the launch tower on this flight. The Federal Aviation Administration has already closed its review of the booster return failure from Flight 12, accepting SpaceX’s findings and corrective actions.

As with all developmental testing, schedules remain dynamic and subject to change. If Thursday’s attempt is scrubbed again, SpaceX has indicated it will continue to work through the issues and try again.

For now, all eyes are on Starbase as SpaceX prepares to write the next chapter in the most powerful rocket ever built.

#Starship #SpaceX #StarlinkV3 #Flight13