SpaceX's Starship set for 13th test flight as early as Thursday

SpaceX's Starship — whose first-stage booster exploded during the last test flight — is set to return to the skies as early as Thursday. The upcoming launch will carry real Starlink satellites for the first time and validate key technologies for the next-generation reusable spacecraft.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) concluded its review of the Super Heavy booster's failed return during the May test flight and approved SpaceX's corrective measures on Monday, according to Reuters.

SpaceX is now scheduled to conduct Starship's 13th test flight from Starbase in Texas at 6:45 p.m. Eastern time on Thursday.

During the 12th test flight in May, a fully redesigned Starship V3 reached a suborbital trajectory and successfully deployed 22 mock Starlink satellites.

About an hour later, the spacecraft reentered Earth's atmosphere and splashed down precisely in its target zone in the Indian Ocean, also completing a vertical flip maneuver — marking the mission itself as largely successful.

The Super Heavy booster that separated shortly after liftoff ran into trouble on its return. Five of its 33 Raptor engines failed to reignite, leaving the booster unable to slow its descent sufficiently, and it ultimately slammed into the Gulf of Mexico at high speed and exploded.

The FAA cleared SpaceX for another test flight after confirming four corrective actions the company had taken to address the cause of the booster's failed return.

The most significant change in this test flight is that it will carry 20 actual Starlink V3 satellites — a first for the program.

After separation, the satellites will deploy their solar panels and antennas to verify normal operation.

Some satellites will also photograph and analyze the spacecraft's external heat shield as Starship reenters Earth's atmosphere.

SpaceX plans to use the data to validate the performance of the heat shield system, a critical technology for reusable spacecraft.

All satellites are designed to burn up in the atmosphere once the test is complete.

Based on the results of this test, SpaceX is expected to begin full commercial launches of Starlink V3 satellites aboard Starship by the end of the year.