SpaceX Targets Thursday for 13th Starship Test Flight
SpaceX (NASDAQ:SPCX) said on Sunday it intends to launch the thirteenth test flight of its Starship vehicle as early as Thursday, after a test flight last week was cancelled minutes before liftoff. The company’s statement said the Starship – its largest and most powerful rocket – will aim to achieve a successful launch, ascent, stage separation, boost‑back burn and landing burn at an offshore point, and will carry Starlink V3 satellites.
The aborted flight last week occurred because some of the spacecraft’s engines failed to start. The earlier, twelfth test flight had also experienced engine issues, which led to a Federal Aviation Administration investigation. SpaceX noted that several hardware and software modifications have been implemented to address the problems observed on the previous flight.
The 13th test flight will be SpaceX’s first launch attempt since its “bumper” initial public offering in June. The cancellation of the prior flight triggered deeper losses in SpaceX’s shares, which are now trading below the IPO price and were reported down 5.43%. Since reaching a post‑IPO market‑value peak of $2.64 trillion, SpaceX has erased roughly $1 trillion in market value.