Starship Flight 13
Starship Flight 13 launched from Pad 2 at Starbase on 24 July 2026 with Booster 20 and Ship 40, after an earlier attempt aborted at engine start. The booster splashed down in the Gulf, and the ship's six engines shut down with a call-out of nominal orbit insertion.
What happened
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Watch this moment · 1:14:14
Abort at engine start
At the end of the countdown the booster triggered an abort at engine startup, and the launch was scrubbed for the day.
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Watch this moment · 1:06:27
SpaceX explains the abort
SpaceX explained the pad abort, which came on four engines, and the planned deployment of 20 Starlink V3 satellites.
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Watch this moment · 0:52
Liftoff
All 33 Raptor engines lit, and the vehicle passed Max Q and went to hot staging.
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Watch this moment · 6:59
Booster splashdown
The booster completed its boostback burn and splashed down in the Gulf, although not all 13 planned engines appeared to light for the landing burn.
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Watch this moment · 8:43
Engine shutdown
The ship's six Raptors shut down, with a call-out of nominal orbit insertion.
Key facts
| Vehicle | Starship, Super Heavy |
|---|---|
| Mission name | Starship Flight 13 |
| Launch site | Starbase, South Texas |
| Crew size | 0 |
Videos about this mission
The videos, in date order
Drag, zoom or press play to watch them on this page.
July – August 2026
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Starship Flight 13 Scrub: Booster Abort at Startup on Pad 2
Everyday Astronaut -
Starship Flight 13: Booster Splashdown and Ship Orbit Insertion
VideoFromSpace -
Starship Flight 13: Pad Abort Cause and 20 Starlink V3 Satellites
Everyday Astronaut -
Starship 40 Reaches Christmas Island: Damage and the Trip Home
Scott Manley
Drag to explore dates · Select a video to preview.
Dates are when each video was first published on YouTube.
The flight profile
Video 267 explains why there was no booster catch on Flight 13, and the boostback and splashdown plan. Video 266 describes the planned profile and the satellite count. The transcripts available to the site end before the end of the flight, so this page does not state the result of the ship's later phases.
Questions and answers
When was Starship Flight 13?
On 24 July 2026 from Starbase in South Texas.
Which vehicles flew?
Booster 20 and Ship 40, from Pad 2.
Was the booster caught?
No catch was planned. The booster splashed down in the Gulf.
Why was there a scrub?
The booster triggered an abort at engine startup on the first attempt.
Sources: The facts and written text on this page come from the 4 videos on this page, by Everyday Astronaut, VideoFromSpace, Scott Manley.
