SpaceX readies Starship Flight 13 for July 23 launch

SpaceX is preparing for the 13th integrated flight test of its Starship rocket and Super Heavy booster, with a launch attempt scheduled for July 23, 2026. The launch window from the company's Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, is set to open at 5:45 p.m. Central Time and remain open for 90 minutes. The mission follows a last-second abort on July 16, when several of the booster's 33 Raptor engines failed to ignite.

The primary objectives for Flight 13 include a successful launch, ascent, and stage separation. The Super Heavy booster will then attempt a boostback burn and a controlled landing at an offshore location in the Gulf of Mexico. Meanwhile, the Starship upper stage will follow a suborbital trajectory, deploying 20 next-generation Starlink V3 satellites before executing a controlled re-entry and splashdown in the Indian Ocean approximately one hour after liftoff.

A key milestone for this flight is the deployment of the Starlink V3 satellites, which are designed to increase network capacity and internet speeds. As part of the test, the satellites will expand their solar arrays and antennas and attempt to communicate with the existing Starlink constellation using laser...