Daniel Fischer@cosmos4u@scicomm.xyz

RE: scicomm.xyz/@AstroDave/1169300

SpaceX's original webcast of the #Starship 13 test from 22:10 UTC on x.com/i/broadcasts/1MKgNNXAZdm

David Dickinson@AstroDave@scicomm.xyz

Tonight: SpaceX will take another shot at launching Starship on Flight 13 from Boca Chica, Texas. The 1 hour 30 minute launch window opens at 6:45 PM EDT/22:45 UT for a sub-orbital flight over the Gulf of Mexico, and an Indian Ocean splashdown. nextspaceflight.com/launches/d

Watch for a boost back and landing burn over the Gulf, a single Raptor engine relight in space, and testing of key modifications on tonight’s Starship launch. This launch also includes the deployment of 20x v3 Starlinks. spaceflightnow.com/2026/07/16/

We’ll be watching Starship Flight 13 on NSF’s channel… because why give the grave of the former bird-site any love? youtube.com/watch?v=vYpQwwf1XNw

Early estimates (Thx Marco Langbroek) suggest tonight’s Starship launch with the first batch of larger v3 Starlinks will put them in a 27 degree inclination orbit: langbroek.org/launchtower.html

Daniel Fischer@cosmos4u@scicomm.xyz

Replying to @⁨cosmos4u@scicomm.xyz⁩

"Some of the engines didn’t start, triggering an automatic launch abort," says x.com/elonmusk/status/20778900 and this screencap of that very moment confirms this: four hadn't come alive. "Now offloading propellant," the Xeet continues: "Next launch attempt hopefully in a few days" - so certainly not another #Starship 13 launch attempt after 24 hours.

Cropped screencap at the very moment of the failed engine start.
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Daniel Fischer@cosmos4u@scicomm.xyz

Replying to @⁨cosmos4u@scicomm.xyz⁩

And in x.com/elonmusk/status/20779067 another #Starship 13 update: "To be confident of a good flight, 2 Raptors will be removed & replaced. Most probable launch timing is early next week."

X (formerly Twitter)Elon Musk (@elonmusk) on XTo be confident of a good flight, 2 Raptors will be removed & replaced. Most probable launch timing is early next week.
Daniel Fischer@cosmos4u@scicomm.xyz

Replying to @⁨cosmos4u@scicomm.xyz⁩

"Now targeting Friday, July 24 for Starship’s thirteenth flight test, due to weather," SpaceX xeeted minutes ago: "A key objective for the flight test is to get clear imagery from the ground of Starship’s heatshield as it flies at a higher dynamic pressure during ascent, which won't be possible with today's weather conditions. Visibility is forecast to be ideal for a Friday attempt." #Starship

Daniel Fischer@cosmos4u@scicomm.xyz

Replying to @⁨cosmos4u@scicomm.xyz⁩

Some screencaps of the #Starship 13 test flight, more in the thread bsky.app/profile/cosmos4u.bsky - the Starship itself has performed flawlessly so far, deploying 20 doomed Starlink satellites and relighting an engine, but the booster lit only 5 instead of 13 engines and crashed harder into the Gulf of Mexico than planned.

Lift-Off
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Ascent
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Booster Crash
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Atmospheric effects
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Daniel Fischer@cosmos4u@scicomm.xyz

Replying to @⁨cosmos4u@scicomm.xyz⁩

The #Starship is still floating in the Indian Ocean after test flight number 13: nitter.net/SpaceX/status/20821. It has travelled some way already: nitter.net/mcrs987/status/2082. And it has just been decided to send a boat to recover it: nitter.net/elonmusk/status/208

The Starship Recovery team has continued gathering imagery of the vehicle, which is still afloat in the Indian Ocean.
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