SpaceX Targets Starship Return to Form on Flight 13

Company completed an FAA-required mishap investigation and made several changes to the rocket after an anomaly in May.

Jack Daleo

Tuesday, July 14, 2026 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

SpaceX is gearing up for the 13th test flight of Starship and its second in the rocket’s Version 3 (V3) configuration. [Credit: SpaceX]

Key Takeaways:

SpaceX is preparing for Starship Flight 13, a critical test of the V3 Starship configuration, aiming to advance the rocket for future commercial orbital deployments and NASA lunar missions after previous delays.
Flight 12 experienced anomalies, including the Super Heavy booster failing to complete its flip and boostback burn and a Starship engine loss, leading to FAA grounding and subsequent hardware and software modifications for Flight 13.
Objectives for Flight 13 include demonstrating successful Super Heavy recovery, relighting a Starship engine in space, testing heat shield limits with new integration methods, and deploying real Starlink satellites equipped with diagnostic cameras.

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SpaceX announced it made several hardware and software modifications to its massive Starship rocket as it prepares for what could be the vehicle’s most critical test flight yet.

The launch provider said over the weekend it is targeting a 90-minute launch window that opens at 6:45 p.m. EDT on Thursday for Starship Flight 13, which is a precursor to more ambitious missions the company has planned for 2026. SpaceX said the mission will have “similar objectives” to Flight 12 in May, which was the first test of Starship’s larger, more powerful Version 3 (V3) configuration.