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Starbase, Texas — SpaceX’s attempt to launch its Starship megarocket on the 13th integrated flight test (Flight 13) was automatically aborted on Thursday, July 16, 2026, just as the Super Heavy booster’s Raptor engines began igniting.

Cosmic Chronicles’ journalists attended the launch viewing event to film video from the South Padre Island perspective. The launch window opened at 5:45 p.m. CDT from Pad 2 at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in South Texas. The vehicle reached the point of engine startup before an onboard system detected that some of the 33 Raptor engines on the Super Heavy first stage failed to ignite properly, triggering a safe abort. Watch the video captured by Cosmic Chronicles, linked below.

• Cosmic Chronicles •
SpaceX Starship Flight 13
Attempt #1 = Automatic launch abort https://t.co/8YJeIn5DyA pic.twitter.com/O5EcSdsUYn

— Evelyn Janeidy (@JaneidyEve) July 17, 2026

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk confirmed the issue shortly afterward on X, stating: “Some of the engines didn’t start, triggering an automatic launch abort. Now offloading propellant. Next launch attempt hopefully in a few days.” He later added that two Raptors will be removed and replaced for greater confidence, with the most probable window being early next week.

This will be the second flight of the Starship-Super Heavy Version 3 vehicles. The mission profile was similar to Flight 12 but included new objectives, notably the deployment of 20 production Starlink V3 satellites — the first of their kind — along with upgrades to address issues from the previous test, such as engine relight reliability and heat shield performance.

Key planned test objectives for Flight 13 include:

• Successful liftoff, ascent, stage separation, boostback burn, and a controlled splashdown of the Super Heavy booster in the Gulf of Mexico.
• Deployment of the 20 Starlink V3 satellites from the Starship upper stage (Ship 40 / Booster 20 configuration).
• A single Raptor engine relight in space on the upper stage.
• Controlled reentry and splashdown of Starship in the Indian Ocean.

Several hardware and software modifications had been implemented since the prior flight to improve engine startup timing, boostback burn reliability, and propulsion system robustness following an engine-out event on Flight 12.

The abort marks a routine but cautious step in SpaceX’s iterative development process for Starship, which aims for full reusability and supports long-term goals including NASA’s Artemis program lunar missions. Propellant was safely offloaded from the vehicle following the scrub.

SpaceX has not yet announced a firm new target date, but teams are expected to conduct inspections, replace engines, and prepare for another attempt in the coming days, weather and readiness permitting.

• Cosmic Chronicles •
SpaceX Starship Flight 13, fully stacked and ready at Starbase Pad 2. Starlink V3 satellites onboard!

The countdown is on for another historic test flight: the second launch of V3 Starship hardware and the first next-gen Starlink deployment. https://t.co/3XcSr8ez2x pic.twitter.com/1F9ReADzL4

— Evelyn Janeidy (@JaneidyEve) July 16, 2026

Author’s note: Thanks for reading Cosmic Chronicles. Write your thoughts in the comment section below. If you have story suggestions or feedback, Direct Message me on social media 𝕏: Evelyn Janeidy Arevalo @JaneidyEve. Read the most recent stories featured below. Thank You.