SpaceX delays Starship Flight 13 launch to Friday over weather conditions

SpaceX has postponed the 13th integrated test flight of its Starship rocket to Friday, July 24, citing unfavourable weather conditions.

The company said the key objective of the mission is to capture clear ground imagery of Starship's heat shield as the spacecraft experiences higher dynamic pressure during ascent, a task that cannot be achieved under the current weather conditions. Visibility is expected to be favourable for the revised launch attempt.

The 90-minute launch window was scheduled to open at 4:15 am IST from SpaceX's Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas.

The latest attempt comes after the previous countdown was aborted moments before liftoff due to an engine startup issue. SpaceX has since replaced two Raptor engines, carried out additional checks and prepared the vehicle for another launch attempt.

Starship, standing about 123 metres tall, is the world's largest and most powerful rocket system. It consists of the Super Heavy booster and the Starship spacecraft, both designed for full reusability as part of Elon Musk's plans for missions to Earth orbit, the Moon and eventually Mars.

The upcoming test flight will build on previous milestones, including stage separation, controlled splashdowns and improvements to the upgraded vehicle. SpaceX also plans to use the mission to test satellite deployment capabilities by carrying 20 Starlink satellites, which are expected to follow a suborbital path before burning up in Earth's atmosphere.

SpaceX has conducted 12 Starship test flights since 2023 as it continues development of the rocket, which is also expected to play a role in future lunar missions, including NASA's Artemis programme.