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SpaceX completes Super Heavy testing, targets July 23 for Starship Flight 13 SpaceX conducts tests with the Super Heavy booster that will conduct Starship Flight 13 at its Starbase site in South Texas on July 22, 2026. Liftoff is targeted for July 23. (Image credit: SpaceX) Starship Flight 13 is still on for tomorrow (July 23), weather permitting. At its Starbase site today (July 22), SpaceX wrapped up testing with the Super Heavy first stage that will conduct Flight 13. And things went well, according to the company. "Additional preflight testing on Super Heavy complete. Now starting preparations to launch Starship as soon as tomorrow, Thursday, July 23. Weather is currently a significant watch item for launch," SpaceX said today in a post on X , the social media platform owned by company founder and CEO Elon Musk . Liftoff is scheduled during a 90-minute window tomorrow that opens at 6:45 p.m. EDT (2245 GMT). You can watch it live here at Space.com, courtesy of SpaceX. SpaceX first tried to launch Starship Flight 13 last Thursday (July 16), but the vehicle experienced an abort just after attempting to ignite Super Heavy's 33 Raptor engines. SpaceX swapped out two of those Raptors, then conducted today's "additional testing" to make sure everything is good to go.

SpaceX targets Starship launch on July 23 Starship stands at SpaceX's Pad 2 at its Starbase facility in Texas. (Image credit: SpaceX) After their assessment over the weekend, destacking Ship and Super Heavy vehicles, rolling them back to the hangar, and swapping out some of Super Heavy's Raptor 3 engines, SpaceX is not targeting later this week for the Flight 13 launch of its massive Starship rocket. SpaceX Starship Flight-13's next launch attempt is scheduled for Thursday, July 23, according to a company social media post . Now targeting to launch Starship’s thirteenth flight test as early as Thursday, July 23 → https://t.co/Rp7VwBzpWx pic.twitter.com/Y0YNzfc5zkJuly 19, 2026

SpaceX targeting July 20 for Starship Flight 13 test launch We have a new (tentative) launch date: After a last-second abort scuttled SpaceX's first attempt to launch Starship Flight 13 yesterday (July 17), the company is now targeting no earlier than Monday (July 20) for the liftoff. The 90-minute launch window opens at 6:45 p.m. EDT (2245 GMT; 5:45 p.m. local time). You can watch the launch here at Space.com when the time comes and learn about the mission in our Flight 13 preview. Yesterday's abort was triggered when several of the 33 Raptor engines on Starship's first-stage booster failed to ignite as planned, according to SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk . "To be confident of a good flight, 2 Raptors will be removed & replaced," Musk said via X , the social media platform he owns, shortly after yesterday's abort. July 20 is a very meaningful date in spaceflight history, by the way. Apollo 11 landed on the moon on July 20, 1969, and NASA's robotic Viking 1 lander touched down on Mars exactly seven years later.

The 33 Raptor 3 engines on Starship's Super Heavy booster seen from beneath the Starbase pad 2 launch stand on July 16, 2026. (Image credit: SpaceX) Following the last-second scrub of last night's Starship Flight 13 launch, SpaceX stood down from Thursday's launch attempt. It was not immediately clear what caused the automated abort, but SpaceX CEO Elon Musk posted to social media shortly after the launch was called off, saying a failure of a few of Straship's Raptor 3 engines failed to light at ignition. "Next launch attempt hopefully in a few days," Musk said in a post. He clarified later yesterday evening, saying, "To be confident of a good flight, 2 Raptors will be removed & replaced. Most probable launch timing is early next week." SpaceX's Starship Flight 13 test launch aborts at last second (video) To be confident of a good flight, 2 Raptors will be removed & replaced. Most probable launch timing is early next week.July 17, 2026

SCRUB Starship's onboard systems initiated and automated aboard at T-0. (Image credit: SpaceX) SpaceX's Starship Flight 13 is scrubbed for the day. At T-0, the rocket's automated flight computer initiated a hold and abort call. It isn't immediately clear what caused the abort, but its execution so far into the countdown means a scrub for the day. "We did trigger a hold on the booster that aborted our liftoff as we were starting to light those Raptor engines," SpaceX livestream host Dan Huot said. "At this point," Huot said as the coverage ended, "they're going to get into [propellant] offload. We're gonna get all the methane, all the oxygen off the vehicle, and then we'll figure out next steps." A new launch date for Starship Flight 13 has not been determined.

T-1 minute to launch! (Image credit: SpaceX) SpaceX has entered the terminal count for Starship! Just one minute to go until Starship Flight 13 liftoff! Let's go!

SpaceX not tracking any issues SpaceX is fueling Starship for Flight 13 right now, and is not tracking any issues as the opening of the launch window approaches. The day began with a 90% probability of favorable launch conditions, according the SpaceX livestream host Dan Huot, who is voicing confidence in the success of today's mission. According to SpaceX commentators, success on today's mission will open the door for "near future orbital flights" and the first-ever attempt to catch Starship's Ship upper stage using the launch tower at Starbase's pad 2. Barring any delays in fueling or weather constraints, Starship is scheduled to lift off at 6:45 p.m. EDT (2245 GMT). The launch window extends for 90 minutes.

Super Heavy booster propellant load had begun (Image credit: SpaceX) SpaceX has begun loading cryogenic fuel into the Super Heavy booster at Starbase's pad 2. Starship uses a mixture of liquid methane and liquix oxygen, together known as "methalox," to power both Super Heavy and Ship stages of Starship. Propellant load has begunJuly 16, 2026

SpaceX Straship Flight 13 launch stream is live Scrub! SpaceX aborts Starship megarocket launch at T-0 - YouTube Watch On Live coverage has begun for SpaceX's Starship Flight 13! You can watch the action and follow along with live updates here, and on the Space.com homepage. SpaceX's direct stream is available on the company's website . Liftoff is currently set for 6:45 p.m. EDT (2245 GMT), with a launch window that extends to 8:15 p.m. EDT (0015 GMT, July 17).

SpaceX stacks Starship overnight (video) Image credit: SpaceX Image credit: SpaceX SpaceX has released photos and video of last night's Starship stacking. Super Heavy 20 was rolled back to pad 2 yesterday (July 15), with Ship 40 following its trail after sunset. Both recently completed static test fires of the Raptor 3 engines, followed by final prelaunch checkouts back at their respective hangars. Now that both have been transported to the launch pad and stacked, SpaceX is preparing the rocket and ground infrastructure for liftoff. The Flight 13 launch window opens at 6:45 p.m. EDT (2245 GMT), and will last for up to 90 minutes. Stacking Starship for Flight 13 pic.twitter.com/L4XN6gqgRtJuly 16, 2026 Josh Dinner Social Links Navigation Staff Writer, Spaceflight

SpaceX readying Starship to launch in just over 24 hours (Image credit: Background: SpaceX, clock added in Canva Pro) Starship's next big test launch is just a day away. SpaceX has transported Booster 20, the Super Heavy first stage for the massive launch vehicle, back to pad 2 at the company's Starbase facility in Texas. If all goes according to plan, that will be its last relocation before launch, currently scheduled for tomorrow (July 15) during a 90-minute launch window beginning at 6:45 p.m. EDT (2245 GMT). Ship 40, Starship's upper stage for Flight 13, will be trasnported to the pad today, and stacked on Super Heavy for a full wet dress rehearsal to confirm the vehicle's readiness ahead of tomorrow's launch attempt. What time is SpaceX's Starship Flight 13 launch on July 16? (Full mission timeline) Josh Dinner Social Links Navigation Staff Writer, Spaceflight