Space Exploration Technologies Corp (NASDAQ:SPCX) said on Thursday it has delayed the thirteenth test flight of its Starship system by one day because of unfavorable weather at its Starbase launch complex in Texas.
"Now targeting Friday, July 24 for Starship's thirteenth flight test, due to weather," the company said in a post on X.
SpaceX explained that one of the mission's principal objectives is to capture clear ground imagery of Starship's heatshield while the vehicle transits a phase of ascent with higher dynamic pressure. The company said that objective could not be met under the current weather conditions and that visibility is forecast to be ideal for a Friday attempt.
The mission had been scheduled for launch on Thursday. The postponed thirteenth flight is intended to move forward the development program for Starship, the fully reusable launch vehicle that SpaceX is building for future lunar and Mars missions as well as commercial satellite deliveries.
This flight follows SpaceX's previous Starship test in May. During that mission the Super Heavy booster was recovered successfully, while the Starship upper stage executed much of its planned flight profile before suffering a loss of attitude control during re-entry.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration completed a review of the May test and cleared SpaceX to proceed with Flight 13, allowing the company to continue its test campaign. SpaceX has said the upcoming mission will incorporate upgrades designed to improve the reliability of both the Super Heavy booster and the Starship upper stage as it works toward more frequent launches and eventual full reusability.
Context and next steps
The company is prioritizing collection of specific visual data from ground assets during ascent. With the forecasted visibility for Friday, SpaceX expects the imaging objective to be achievable on the rescheduled attempt. The flight retains its role in validating upgrades to improve stage reliability and to support the broader development timeline for Starship.