SpaceX readies Starship Flight 13 test, eyes Flight 14 orbital demo

SpaceX is preparing its next Starship test, designated Flight 13, which could launch as early as next month. President and COO Gwynne Shotwell told CNBC that the sub‑orbital flight will follow a trajectory that ends with a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean, mirroring the April test that failed to achieve a full engine restart in space. Engineers aim to refine ascent and re‑entry performance before moving on to the next milestone.

The company has also filed with the FCC for a “Starship Orbital Return Demo”—Flight 14—scheduled for the end of July through the end of the year. Flight 14 is intended to be the first orbital Starship mission and may include a controlled ocean splashdown or a future vehicle‑catch scenario.

Meanwhile, German rocket startup Isar Aerospace scrubbed a test flight of its Spectrum rocket after detecting off‑nominal behavior in the vehicle’s fluid systems. This is the second delay for the company in 2026, following a brief failed launch in May. Despite raising nearly $1 billion, Isar has yet to demonstrate a successful flight, underscoring the technical challenges faced by newer entrants in the private space sector.