The Federal Aviation Administration has cleared SpaceX to resume Starship test flights after closing its review of a Super Heavy booster failure during a May launch. SpaceX is targeting Thursday, July 16, for the next Starship flight from Starbase, Texas.
The mission would be Starship’s 13th test flight and the second launch of the redesigned V3 vehicle. It will also mark the first time Starship carries operational third-generation Starlink satellites instead of only dummy payloads or test articles.
The FAA said the most likely causes of the May booster failure were heat effects on propulsion system components during ascent and incorrect engine alarm settings. SpaceX has made corrective changes to engine startup, abort logic and hardware intended to improve booster relight reliability.
May Test Reached Orbit Goals but Lost Booster
The May 22 test flight was partly successful. Starship’s upper stage separated from the Super Heavy booster, reached space and deployed satellite simulators, including modified Starlink test units that recorded footage of the vehicle.
The booster was supposed to return toward Earth and perform a simulated landing in the Gulf of Mexico. Instead, several Raptor engines failed to relight properly, and the booster crashed into the water at high speed.
SpaceX said slight differences in the upper stage engine startup during separation caused the booster to rotate 90 degrees in the wrong direction. The company has changed the startup sequence so the booster can more reliably flip into the intended position.
The upper stage also lost one of its vacuum-optimized Raptor engines during the May flight, although it still completed key objectives. SpaceX said it has made hardware and operational changes to reduce the chance of a similar issue.
Starship Will Carry V3 Starlink Satellites
The next test flight is expected to deploy 20 Starlink V3 satellites. SpaceX said the satellites will use high-capacity laser links to connect with the broader Starlink network and are designed to burn up in the atmosphere about 20 minutes after deployment.
Six of the satellites will carry cameras to photograph Starship’s exterior. The test is an important step toward using Starship to launch larger and more capable Starlink satellites at scale.
Starship and Starlink V3 are central to SpaceX’s future. Starlink has been one of the company’s strongest businesses, while Starship is meant to become a fully reusable system capable of launching heavy payloads, supporting lunar missions and enabling longer-term plans for orbital infrastructure.
The upcoming launch is also SpaceX’s second Starship test since becoming a public company. SpaceX completed its Nasdaq listing on June 12 in a record IPO that raised nearly $86 billion.
The test will again examine SpaceX’s high-risk development method, which accepts failures as part of rapid iteration. If the July 16 flight succeeds, it could give SpaceX a stronger path toward regular Starship launches and larger Starlink deployments.
Featured image credits: Wikimedia Commons
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