SpaceX readies Starship Flight 13 with first‑generation Starlink V3 satellites

The Federal Aviation Administration has cleared SpaceX to resume flights of its Starship prototype after the agency reviewed corrective actions taken following the May booster anomaly. The company plans the thirteenth integrated test flight for Thursday, July 16 (launch window opening around 6:30 p.m. EDT), using the new V3 versions of both the Starship upper stage and Super Heavy booster.

The mission will address issues observed on the previous flight, including a 90‑degree rotation of the booster after stage separation and unreliable Raptor engine relights. Hardware and software upgrades have been implemented to improve the boost‑back burn, engine‑start sequencing and heat‑shield tile attachment, with load‑sensing tiles installed to record ascent stresses.

For the first time the flight will carry 20 next‑generation Starlink V3 satellites, six of which are equipped with cameras to film the vehicle’s heat shield during re‑entry. After deploying the satellites, the Starship will perform a controlled splash‑down in the Indian Ocean (referred to as the Gulf of America). Successful completion would mark a major step toward the fully reusable launch system SpaceX envisions for lunar, Martian and commercial missions.