SpaceX's Starship program is back at the pad after a tense abort on July 16 forced engineers to swap out Raptor engines on Booster 20. NASASpaceflight's Ryan Caton dropped a comprehensive update covering where things stand — and the next launch window is imminent. Here's what you need to know.
1. The July 16 Launch Attempt Aborted During Countdown
The first attempt at Flight 13 on July 16 — a 6:45 p.m. EDT window — ended before liftoff when multiple Raptor engines on the first-stage booster, Booster 20, failed to ignite as planned during the countdown sequence. This was the first major test since SpaceX's IPO in June, which made the abort particularly high-profile. According to Space.com, the market reaction was severe, with an estimated $100 billion wiped from SpaceX's market cap following the scrub.
2. SpaceX Replaced Two Raptor Engines Before the Next Attempt
Elon Musk confirmed after the abort that two Raptor engines would be removed from Booster 20 and replaced ahead of the next launch attempt. The engine swap is a targeted fix rather than a full booster rollback, suggesting SpaceX identified the specific units responsible for the ignition failure. Raptor engine reliability at scale — Booster 20 carries 33 of them — remains one of the program's most closely watched variables heading into this flight.
3. Flight 13 Is Starship V3's Second Flight
The vehicle on the pad for Flight 13 is Starship Version 3, marking its second flight. V3 represents SpaceX's most current iteration of the upper stage, incorporating hardware and software refinements accumulated across the program's previous twelve flights since 2023. Each V3 flight generates data that feeds directly into the design of future vehicles, so getting this one off the ground cleanly matters beyond the single mission.
4. The Mission Carries Upgraded Starlink Satellites — That Will Burn Up
Flight 13's payload consists of upgraded Starlink satellites, but they are not destined for orbit. According to background research, the satellites are intended to burn up in the atmosphere as part of the test mission profile. The flight will follow a south-east trajectory similar to the previous launch. Using real hardware as mass simulators lets SpaceX validate deployment mechanisms and trajectory performance under realistic load conditions without committing operational satellites to an unproven flight.
5. The Next Launch Window Opens July 20 — With a Backup Possible July 23
SpaceX is targeting July 20, 2026, with a 90-minute launch window opening at 6:45 p.m. EDT (2245 GMT), according to Space.com. Some reports also reference a potential attempt on July 23 if the primary window slips. Given that the abort on July 16 was traced to specific engine units that have since been replaced, the program appears to be in a recovery posture rather than a fundamental redesign situation — which is why the turnaround to the next attempt has been measured in days, not weeks.
For a program moving at this pace, a single-week turnaround from abort to relaunch is itself a data point worth noting. Whether Flight 13 clears the pad on July 20 or slips a few days, the engine swap and rapid re-manifest signal that SpaceX is treating this as a normal part of iterative development rather than a setback. Follow our SpaceX coverage for launch-day updates as the window approaches.
🚀 Following the Starship program? See every test flight, official outcome and the next launch window in our SpaceX Starship Tracker.
Sources & reporting notes
The links below identify the material source records used for this report.
- @NASASpaceflight on X (2026-07-19T23:12:16.000Z) — Direct source
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