Overview
- SpaceX is targeting a 90‑minute launch window opening July 23 as teams complete final booster checks and stack operations at Starbase, Texas.
- The vehicle auto‑aborted at T‑0 on July 16 after multiple Super Heavy Raptor engines failed to ignite, and that shutdown let crews roll Booster 20 and Ship 40 back for inspection.
- Company leadership ordered at least two Raptor engine swaps on Booster 20 and filmed additional engines at McGregor for testing, and SpaceX ran spin‑prime/checkout tests this week to validate repairs.
- Flight 13 will attempt a relight of a Raptor engine in space, a boostback/landing sequence for the booster, and the suborbital deployment of 20 Starlink V3 satellites including six cameras to image the heat shield.
- Weather is a live risk as Tropical Storm Bertha approaches the Texas coast and the FAA has already cleared SpaceX to proceed after closing its Flight 12 review, so mission timing and broader program milestones remain conditional on both technical and environmental checks.