SpaceX Replaces 2 Raptor Engines for Starship Flight 13 Retry Early Next Week
Updated
Updated · Space.com · Jul 16
SpaceX Replaces 2 Raptor Engines for Starship Flight 13 Retry Early Next Week
3 articles · Updated · Space.com · Jul 16
Summary
Two Raptor engines will be removed and replaced after SpaceX aborted Starship Flight 13 during booster ignition, with Elon Musk saying the most likely relaunch is early next week.
The scrub came at 2245 GMT on July 16, just as Starship's 33 first-stage engines began firing at the opening of a 90-minute launch window from Starbase in South Texas.
Flight 13 is the second test of Starship Version 3, which is meant to move the megarocket closer to operational status after Flight 12 in May exposed issues with booster splashdown control and an in-space engine relight.
The mission also carries 20 Starlink V3 satellites on their first trip to space; they are set for suborbital deployment and reentry, with 6 equipped to image Ship's heat shield.
On July 16, 2026, Starship Flight 13 was aborted at the last second when several Raptor 3 engines on the Super Heavy booster failed to ignite, preventing all 33 engines from lighting up. This marked the second flight in a row with Raptor engine issues, following an upper-stage engine-out on Flight 12, highlighting ongoing challenges with engine reliability at scale for SpaceX. In response, SpaceX chose to scrub the launch, reflecting its philosophy of addressing problems before proceeding. This approach aims to improve reliability as the company works toward higher flight rates and ambitious space goals.