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SpaceX Pushes Starship Flight 13 to Friday After Engine Repairs and Weather Delay

A successful test would validate engine‑startup and relight fixes while providing heat‑shield data and the first deployment of production Starlink V3 satellites.

SpaceX
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SpaceX’s Starship stands on the launch pad at Starbase, Texas ahead of the Flight 13 scrubbed launch attempt on July 16. The company is targeting Thursday, July 23, for the test flight. Credit: SpaceX
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Overview

  • SpaceX scrubbed a July 16 liftoff when several Super Heavy Raptor engines failed to ignite, triggering an automatic abort seconds before T‑0.
  • Engine teams removed and replaced at least two Raptors, completed ground tests, and restacked Booster 20 and Ship 40 before returning to the pad.
  • SpaceX called off a planned July 23 attempt because Tropical Storm Bertha reduced visibility needed for ground heat‑shield imagery and is now targeting a July 24 launch window that opens at 6:45 p.m. ET for 90 minutes.
  • Flight 13 will carry 20 production Starlink V3 satellites, six fitted with cameras to image Starship’s heat shield, and will test an in‑space Raptor relight plus booster boostback and landing sequences.
  • Regulators closed an FAA review of Flight 12 on July 13 clearing SpaceX to proceed, but a GAO report flags Raptor development as a top program risk and the outcome of Flight 13 will influence Starlink capacity, Artemis timelines, and near‑term investor confidence.