Overview
- The Federal Aviation Administration closed its review on Monday and accepted SpaceX’s corrective actions, clearing a roughly 90‑minute launch window that SpaceX is targeting beginning July 16 for Flight 13.
- The FAA cited the most probable causes of the May booster mishap as heat effects on propulsion components during ascent and erroneous engine alarm system settings.
- SpaceX has implemented hardware and software changes to address those findings, including a modified engine startup sequence on the upper stage, updates to engine alarm and abort logic, and hardware adjustments to improve booster relight reliability.
- Flight 13 will carry 20 operational Starlink V3 satellites that will perform brief connectivity checks before deorbiting, six of which are fitted with cameras to image Starship’s heat shield while the vehicle tests painted and load‑sensing tiles.
- The flight will also attempt an in‑space Raptor restart and a full boostback plus controlled splashdown recovery to prove steps toward reusability, a result that matters for Starlink capacity, SpaceX’s role in NASA’s Artemis plans, shareholder sentiment and local communities near Starbase.