SpaceX has achieved a significant milestone in its Starship development program. On July 24, 2026, the 13th full-scale test flight launched from Starbase, Texas, and successfully completed a controlled, intact splashdown in the Indian Ocean. This marks a major step forward, as previous water landings of the massive rocket have typically ended in fiery explosions.
A Clean Splashdown and a Major Milestone
The 408-foot-tall (124-meter) rocket, composed of the Super Heavy booster and the Starship upper stage, lifted off at 5:51 pm CDT. The upper stage, powered by six Raptor engines, separated from the booster and continued on a suborbital trajectory that took it over the Caribbean and the Atlantic. As it reentered Earth's atmosphere, the ship's heat shield, equipped with over 18,000 ceramic tiles, was put to the test, enduring temperatures of up to 2,600 degrees Fahrenheit (1,430 degrees Celsius).
Unlike previous flights, the vehicle gently tipped over and came to rest floating in the ocean west of Australia. This intact status allows engineers to gather invaluable data. SpaceX communications manager Dan Huot called it a "dream scenario for the team that’s trying to get this heat shield data." Drones were flown over the spacecraft for inspection, providing the best look yet at the heat shield's performance.
Next Leap: The Tower Catch
Buoyed by the success of Flight 13, SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk has already set his sights on the next major challenge. He confirmed on X that, barring any unforeseen problems discovered in the data review, the company will attempt to catch the Starship upper stage with the launch tower's mechanical arms on the next flight. This maneuver, already successfully executed with the heavier Super Heavy booster, would involve bringing the ship back to the launch site and hovering before being captured.
Booster Setback and Starlink V3 Deployment
The flight was not without its hiccups. While the Starship upper stage performed flawlessly, the Super Heavy booster experienced a hard splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. Some of its 33 Raptor engines failed to relight for the landing burn, preventing a controlled descent. This version of the V3 booster has yet to be successfully recovered, a feat accomplished with previous V2 versions.
Despite the booster issue, the mission successfully deployed 20 Starlink V3 satellites. These upgraded satellites, featuring significant improvements in throughput and power, are larger and heavier than their predecessors and cannot be launched by SpaceX's workhorse Falcon 9 rocket. The satellites were released via a Pez-like dispenser during the suborbital flight and burned up upon reentry, but not before ground teams established contact and downloaded key telemetry, offering a first look at their performance in space.
The Path to Orbit and Beyond
This test flight also included a successful 14-second restart of a Raptor engine, a core capability for future orbital missions. Achieving orbit and returning the ship to the launch site are the next critical steps. Success would unlock the ability to launch operational Starlink V3 satellites, providing higher-speed direct-to-device connectivity for consumers and the U.S. military.
For NASA, an orbital Starship is vital for its Artemis program, as it would pave the way for orbital refueling demonstrations. Multiple refueling runs will be necessary to send a Starship to the Moon. With a successful splashdown and key data in hand, SpaceX appears ready to accelerate its iterative development program and begin delivering payloads to orbit. As Shana Diez, SpaceX's director of Starship flight reliability, said, "Development vehicles are fun but at the end of the day, we are here to put things into space and I am psyched about this rocket’s game changing capabilities."
Looking ahead, the company is building infrastructure for rapid reusability, including multiple launch pads in Texas and Florida. The successful Flight 13 has set the stage for an even more ambitious next chapter for the world's most powerful rocket.