SpaceX is targeting Thursday, July 23, for another attempt to launch its Starship rocket after last week’s last-minute abort, the company said in a statement on Sunday.
The launch window for the 13th flight test will open at 5:45 p.m. local time in Texas (23:45 Moroccan time) and remain open for 90 minutes. A live webcast will begin about 30 minutes before liftoff.
The latest delay comes after Starship’s 13th test flight was scrubbed on July 16 moments before launch from Texas.
According to the company, several changes have been made to Starship’s propulsion system to address the engine problems encountered during previous tests.
The upcoming mission will seek to complete objectives similar to those planned for the previous flight, which introduced the Starship and Super Heavy V3 vehicles. The mission will also mark the first time Starship carries next-generation Starlink V3 satellites.
The Super Heavy booster will attempt to complete launch, stage separation, boostback and landing burns before splashing down at an offshore site in the Gulf of America. SpaceX said hardware and software modifications had been introduced after five of the booster’s 33 engines failed to restart during Flight 12.
The Starship upper stage is expected to deploy 20 Starlink satellites, restart one of its Raptor engines in space and complete a controlled descent into the Indian Ocean.
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SpaceX said the upper stage lost one of its three vacuum-optimized Raptor engines about 40 seconds after stage separation during the previous flight, although the vehicle still reached its planned suborbital trajectory.
The satellites carried on Thursday’s mission are designed to expand Starlink’s capacity and internet speeds. They will deploy solar arrays and antennas and attempt to communicate with the broader Starlink constellation through laser links before burning up in Earth’s atmosphere roughly 20 minutes after deployment.
Six satellites will carry cameras to inspect Starship’s heat shield and transmit images to engineers as SpaceX continues to test systems intended to support future reusable missions.
SpaceX has launched 12 Starship test flights since 2023 and plans to begin placing Starlink satellites into orbit aboard the rocket before the end of the year, followed by routine launches.
