SpaceX Schedules Starship Flight 13 After Weather Delays
SpaceX rescheduled its 13th Starship flight test to July 24 following weather delays and a previous engine failure during a July 16 attempt.
The aerospace company Space Exploration Technologies Corp. rescheduled the 13th flight test of its Starship rocket to Friday, July 24, 2026, after poor weather caused by Tropical Storm Bertha forced a postponement of the original July 23 window. This follows a previous scrubbed attempt on July 16, which was aborted due to Super Heavy booster engine ignition failures.
The upcoming mission seeks to deploy 20 next-generation Starlink V3 satellites to test high-capacity laser links. Flight objectives include restarting a Raptor engine in space and executing a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean, while the Super Heavy booster targets a landing in the Gulf of Mexico. SpaceX implemented hardware and software modifications to address reliability issues from Flight 12, specifically updating startup sequences and engine relight hardware.
This test arrives as the company pivots its strategic focus. SpaceX recently stopped producing certain Falcon 9 components and ceased accepting rideshare reservations beyond 2028, giving the firm roughly 18 months to fully operationalize the Super Heavy rocket. The Starship program remains critical for company stakeholders and its contract with NASA to develop the Human Landing System for the Artemis program.
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