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STARBASE, Texas — SpaceX successfully launched its Starship rocket on its 13th test flight on Friday, July 24, 2026, achieving several key milestones including the first deployment of next-generation Starlink V3 satellites and an intact soft splashdown of the upper stage.

The vehicle, consisting of Super Heavy Booster 20 and Ship 40 (both Version 3 hardware), lifted off from Pad 2 at Starbase at 5:51 p.m. Central Time. All 33 Raptor engines on the booster ignited for ascent over the Gulf of Mexico. Hot-staging occurred successfully about 2 minutes and 21 seconds after liftoff, with the Starship upper stage lighting its six Raptor engines to continue the flight. A Cosmic Chronicles journalist captured video of Flight 13 from South Padre Island, Texas, around 5 miles away across the ocean ship channel (linked below).

The Super Heavy booster completed a high-thrust boostback burn using all 33 engines—the first time for a V3 booster—before attempting a landing burn in the Gulf. A subset of engines ignited for the landing burn, but the booster experienced a hard splashdown.Starship reached its planned suborbital trajectory and velocity after a full-duration ascent burn.

It then deployed all 20 Starlink V3 satellites, marking the first time functional next-generation Starlinks flew on Starship. SpaceX confirmed communication with every satellite via radio frequency and laser links, downloading key telemetry. The satellites, placed on the same suborbital path, operated for about 20 minutes—extending solar arrays and antennas and testing links—before reentering and demising as planned. Six of the satellites carried cameras to inspect the ship’s heat shield.

The upper stage also successfully relit a single Raptor engine in space, demonstrating a capability needed for future orbital missions. Starship then reentered Earth’s atmosphere, gathering critical heat shield performance data, executed a dynamic banking maneuver to simulate a future return trajectory to Starbase, and guided itself with its flaps to a targeted zone in the Indian Ocean. After relighting its engines, it performed a landing flip and soft splashdown, coming to rest intact—the first time an intact Starship has been placed in the water, providing valuable views of the heat shield.

This was the second flight of the upgraded Starship and Super Heavy V3 vehicles. The launch followed an aborted attempt on July 16, when the flight software halted ignition after some booster engines failed to start properly due to issues with liquid oxygen turbopumps (linked to moisture), and a weather-related scrub on July 23. SpaceX replaced and tested engines beforehand.

SpaceX described the flight as achieving major test objectives and advancing the path toward orbital missions and full reusability. The company has indicated that a successful Flight 13 could pave the way for the first orbital attempt on a subsequent flight.

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