Saturday, July 11, 2026

SpaceX static-fires Starship Flight 13 booster, eyes July 14

SpaceX

SpaceX fired all 33 Raptor engines on Super Heavy Booster 20 at Starbase, Texas around July 10, clearing a key milestone toward Starship's 13th test flight - the second launch of the more powerful Version 3 vehicle, pairing Booster 20 with Ship 40. The booster static fire followed the earlier six-engine static fire of Ship 40, leaving the vehicle largely cleared for launch. The FAA has issued a provisional window opening July 14, though the date could slip; SpaceX is aiming to raise Starship's cadence toward roughly one flight a month and attempt full orbital injection on a later mission.