After a rough try in May and a scrubbed launch last week, SpaceX will attempt to launch Starship on its 13th test flight Thursday.
The launch follows a scrubbed attempt on July 16 — canceled because some of the engines didn’t start, triggering an abort, company founder Elon Musk said in a post on X. SpaceX officials say they’re ready to give it another go, but weather conditions could foul their plans.
As previously reported by Mashable, this test will seek to prove the rocket booster can separate cleanly from the ship in the air, swing around the right way, fire its engines again, and splash down in the Gulf of Mexico. They’ve changed how engines light and tweaked the landing sequence, which plops the ship into the Indian Ocean.
The modifications follow the 12th flight‘s botched flip and several engine restarting failures.
This launch marks the latest step in SpaceX’s campaign to turn the most powerful rocket ever built into a reusable workhorse — one that can haul heavy cargo into space, survive the fiery return trip, support NASA‘s moon landings, and eventually execute Musk’s personal Mars ambitions.
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SpaceX says it will stream the South Texas launch on its website and X, the social media platform owned by Musk. The broadcast is expected to start as early as 5:15 p.m. CT. If any delays occur, the company will provide updates on X.
Once it gets off the ground, Starship will try to deploy 20 satellites, then attempt to restart a single engine while coasting, a skill SpaceX says it will need for future missions that change course or head to the moon. The cargo includes Starlink V3 internet satellites.
“The thing that separates us from a lot of other companies is that we test fast and we test often, and that includes launches,” said Tim Southerton, director of Starship launch engineering, in SpaceX’s latest mini documentary. “We want to make sure the vehicle’s all ready to go. We want to make sure the ground’s all ready to go, but we also don’t want to be caught in analysis paralysis.”
While waiting for ignition, viewers can watch SpaceX’s short documentary, called “Critical Path.” The film follows engineers and pad crews through the final days leading up to the previous flight.
During the film, Musk doesn’t say much.
“I personally have never felt any pressure from Elon of like, ‘It doesn’t matter, hell or high water, we’re flying this rocket.’ Like, absolutely not. That’s not his style,” said Justin Styer, the company’s senior Starship launch director, in the film. “And, like I said, the critical path to Mars is not blowing up rockets.”
