Starship launches in 13th test flight
Posted: Sun, Jul 26, 2026, 7:38 AM ET (1138 GMT)
SpaceX launched its Starship vehicle on its 13th test flight Friday. Starship lifted off from Starbase, Texas, at 6:51 pm EDT (2251 GMT) after the first launch attempt eight days earlier was aborted at the last second when several Raptor engines failed to ignite. During the suborbital test flight, Starship deployed 20 functioning Starlink V3 satellites, putting them through a brief set of tests before the satellites reentered. Starship also performed a relight of a Raptor engine in space before reentry. The 65-minute test flight concluded with a splashdown in the Indian Ocean, with the vehicle remaining intact. The Super Heavy booster, though, suffered engine malfunctions during its attempt to perform a soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.
SpaceX launched its Starship vehicle on its 13th test flight Friday. Starship lifted off from Starbase, Texas, at 6:51 pm EDT (2251 GMT) after the first launch attempt eight days earlier was aborted at the last second when several Raptor engines failed to ignite. During the suborbital test flight, Starship deployed 20 functioning Starlink V3 satellites, putting them through a brief set of tests before the satellites reentered. Starship also performed a relight of a Raptor engine in space before reentry. The 65-minute test flight concluded with a splashdown in the Indian Ocean, with the vehicle remaining intact. The Super Heavy booster, though, suffered engine malfunctions during its attempt to perform a soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.
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