SpaceX is preparing to light up the skies over South Texas again. The company has targeted Thursday, July 16, 2026, for the 13th integrated test flight of its Starship vehicle, with a 90-minute launch window opening at 5:45 p.m. EDT from Pad 2 at Starbase.
This is not a routine test. Flight 13 is the second mission for the upgraded Version 3 configuration of Starship and its Super Heavy booster, and it arrives with a fresh set of ambitions after the FAA closed its mishap investigation into the previous flight just days before this one was cleared to fly.
What’s actually being tested here
The mission profile mirrors Flight 12, which launched on May 22, 2026. That flight was the first to use the V3, or Block 3, configuration, meaning the engineering team has exactly one data point from this hardware generation going into Thursday’s attempt.
The primary objective is a soft ocean landing for Starship’s upper stage. In plain terms, SpaceX wants to bring the giant upper portion of the rocket down gently onto the water rather than letting it crater into the ocean at speed.
