SpaceX has rescheduled the launch of its Starship mega-rocket for Thursday, the 23rd. Previously, the flight was scheduled for last Thursday (the 16th) and, after an issue during takeoff, was rescheduled for Monday (the 20th).
The launch is scheduled for 7:45 PM Brasília time, with a 90-minute window, maintaining the same time as previous schedules. Live broadcasts will be provided by Olhar Digital on its social media channels, starting at 7:30 PM.
Last week, SpaceX failed to send Starship into space for the thirteenth time. Although the launch started as planned, it was automatically interrupted shortly afterward. Elon Musk, owner of SpaceX, informed X that the interruption occurred because some of the engines did not ignite, and announced that two engines would be replaced to ensure a successful flight.
This new Starship test shares goals with the previous mission, which marked the debut of the V3 versions of the Starship and Super Heavy vehicles. Additionally, this time the mission will include the transport, for the first time, of next-generation Starlink V3 satellites. The main purpose of the Super Heavy booster is to successfully complete all initial phases of the flight, covering launch, ascent, stage separation, boostback burn, and landing in an offshore area located in the Gulf of Mexico.
The company reported implementing several hardware and software modifications to correct failures detected in the previous test. During the stage separation in flight 12, small discrepancies in the ignition of the Starship engines caused an misalignment of approximately 90 degrees in the Super Heavy's rotation maneuver. To mitigate this, the engine ignition sequence was adjusted to be more robust against time variations and ensure correct rotation with greater confidence.
Another problem in flight 12 was that, after separation and the rotation maneuver, five of the 33 Super Heavy engines failed to reignite, forcing the premature termination of the maneuver. For the next flight, the booster received hardware improvements aimed at increasing engine reignition reliability, in addition to updates to alert and abort systems to better reflect flight conditions with multiple engines active simultaneously.
The Starship upper stage has three central objectives: placing 20 Starlink V3 satellites into suborbital orbit, performing a Raptor engine reignition in space, and executing another controlled atmospheric reentry, followed by descent and splashdown in the Indian Ocean. SpaceX also made adjustments to the Starship propulsion system to resolve the engine failure seen previously. In the past mission, about 40 seconds after separation, the craft lost one of its three Raptor engines optimized for vacuum, but managed to maintain the planned suborbital trajectory even with one inoperative engine.
For the first time, Starship will carry Starlink V3 satellites, designed to significantly expand network capacity and increase speed for users. In this initial test, the craft should release 20 satellites, which, after separation, will activate solar panels and antennas to attempt connection to the Starlink constellation via high-capacity lasers. They will remain in the Starship's suborbital trajectory and will be destroyed during atmospheric reentry, about 20 minutes after being released.
Six of the satellites were equipped with cameras capable of inspecting the Starship's thermal shield during the flight, transmitting images to ground teams. The goal is to continue evaluating methods for analyzing the thermal shield conditions for future missions where Starship will return to the launch site. As part of this experiment, several panels of the vehicle's thermal coating were painted white to simulate missing parts and serve as targets for the cameras.
In addition to satellite inspections, the mission will test various improvements and experiments related to the thermal shield, continuing the development of a fully reusable vehicle ready for quick new flights. Among the planned tests is the installation of multiple thermal panels on the metallic surface of the rear flaps and the use of modified panels and new fastening mechanisms in the area of the thermal shield covering the tail. The objective is to collect flight data on different fastening methods. Starship will also use panels with load sensors to measure the stresses experienced by the thermal shield during ascent. In this mission, the craft will face dynamic pressure higher than in previous flights, which will intensify stress on panel fastenings, in exchange for higher orbital payload capacity.
The flight history includes: Flight 1 in April 2023, where Starship exploded coupled with Super Heavy due to engine failures, activating the self-destruct system. Flight 2, in November 2023, allowed for the initial separation of Super Heavy, but the booster subsequently exploded, resulting in the loss of Starship before the completion of the flight. Flight 3, in March 2024, lasted about 50 minutes and represented a significant advance, despite the loss of the vehicle before the planned landing. In June 2024 (Flight 4), Starship landed controllably in the Indian Ocean, while Super Heavy landed in the Gulf of Mexico. Flight 5, in October 2024, saw SpaceX capture Super Heavy on the launch tower for the first time, and Starship performed a controlled reentry. Flight 6, in November 2024, had the booster land controllably and the craft reignite an engine in space. Flight 7, in January 2025, ended with the loss of Starship after an explosion during the test. Flight 8, in March 2025, saw the upper stage lose stability about eight minutes after launch and be destroyed. Flight 9, in May 2025, marked the first reuse of a Super Heavy, but failures prevented some planned experiments. Flight 10, in August 2025, met important goals, such as tests with satellite simulators, engine reignition in space, and controlled reentry. Flight 11, in October 2025, successfully concluded the V2 phase of Starship, including the controlled landing of Super Heavy, the craft's reentry, and new operational tests. Finally, Flight 12, in May 2026, was the first test of the V3 version, showing notable advances, such as the launch of satellite simulators and two modified Starlink satellites, but suffered a failure in the Super Heavy booster during the return attempt because the engines did not reignite correctly after separation.
SpaceX was unable to send the Starship rocket into space for the thirteenth time this Thursday (16th). Minutes after the incident, Elon Musk, owner of SpaceX, communicated via X that the launch interruption occurred because some of the engines did not automatically ignite.
Musk informed that two Raptor engines would be replaced and indicated that the highest probability for the next launch would be early next week. Later, on Friday (17th), SpaceX officially confirmed on its website that it will make a new attempt on Monday (20th). The launch window is scheduled to begin at 7:45 PM Brasília time and will last one hour and thirty minutes.
This new Starship test flight will maintain similar objectives to the previous mission, which marked the debut of the V3 versions of the Starship and Super Heavy vehicles. However, this time, the mission will include the transport, for the first time, of new generation Starlink V3 satellites. The primary purpose of the Super Heavy booster is to successfully complete all initial phases of the flight, covering launch, ascent, stage separation, boostback burn, and landing burn in an offshore area located in the Gulf of Mexico.
To ensure this success, the company implemented several modifications to both hardware and software, aiming to correct the issues detected during the previous test.
SpaceX reported that during the stage separation in flight 12, small discrepancies in the ignition of the Starship engines caused an misalignment of approximately 90 degrees in the Super Heavy's rotation maneuver. To prevent recurrence, the engine ignition sequence was adjusted to be more resilient to timing variations, allowing the rotation to occur in the desired direction with greater safety. This change also aims to improve the overall system performance.
Additionally, in flight 12, after separation and the rotation maneuver, the Super Heavy initiated the boostback burn, but five of its 33 engines failed during the relight attempt, forcing the premature termination of the maneuver. For the renewed flight, the booster received hardware modifications focused on increasing engine relight reliability, along with updates to alert and abort systems to better reflect the conditions of a flight with multiple engines operating simultaneously.
As for the Starship upper stage, it has three main goals: placing 20 Starlink V3 satellites into suborbital orbit, performing a single Raptor engine relight in space, and executing another controlled atmospheric reentry, followed by descent and splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
SpaceX also made several changes to the Starship propulsion system to resolve the engine failure that occurred in the previous flight. About 40 seconds after stage separation in the past mission, the vehicle lost one of its three Raptor engines optimized for vacuum. Even with this failure, the vehicle demonstrated its ability to proceed with the mission with one inoperative engine and reached the planned suborbital trajectory. The company assures that numerous operational and hardware adaptations have been made to address the interconnected causes of this problem, with additional reliability improvements expected for future Raptor engine iterations.
For the first time, Starship will carry Starlink V3 satellites, designed to substantially expand the network capacity and increase the speed available to users. In this initial test, the spacecraft should release 20 satellites. After separation, these will begin deploying their solar panels and antennas, seeking to establish communication with the Starlink constellation through high-capacity lasers. The satellites will remain in the same suborbital trajectory as Starship and are expected to be destroyed during atmospheric reentry, approximately twenty minutes after being released.
Six of the satellites were equipped with cameras capable of inspecting the Starship's thermal shield during the flight and transmitting these images to ground teams. The goal is to continue evaluating methods for analyzing the thermal shield conditions for future missions where Starship will return to the launch site. As part of this experiment, several panels of the vehicle's thermal coating were painted white to simulate missing parts and serve as targets for the cameras.
In addition to the inspections conducted by the satellites, the mission will test a series of advancements and experiments related to the Starship's thermal shield, continuing the development of a fully reusable vehicle with rapid readiness for new flights. Among the planned tests is the installation of multiple thermal tiles on the metallic surface of the vehicle's rear flaps, as well as the use of modified tiles and new fastening mechanisms in the area of the thermal shield covering the tail. The objective is to collect in-flight data on different fastening methods. Starship will also employ tiles equipped with load sensors to measure the stresses supported by the thermal shield during ascent. In this mission, the vehicle will face a dynamic pressure higher than in previous flights, which will intensify the stress on the tile fastenings for superior payload capacity to orbit.
The SpaceX Starship rocket is set to conduct its next test flight. The launch is scheduled for this Thursday at 7:45 PM Brasília time, departing from the Starbase facility in Texas. This event will mark the second test flight of the V3 version of the vehicle.
The company led by Elon Musk will have a 90-minute window to achieve liftoff, and the total flight duration is expected to be slightly over an hour. The main focus of the mission will be monitoring system operation across various phases, such as module separation, engine ignition, and vehicle return.
A crucial aspect to be observed is the performance of the Super Heavy booster. In a previous mission conducted in May of this year, this stage failed to return properly for a controlled landing, resulting in it falling into the ocean. SpaceX has reported that adjustments have been implemented to both hardware and software to address the issues detected during that flight.
In addition to testing the rocket itself, the operation will serve as a showcase for new components of the Starlink network. During the test, 20 Starlink V3 satellites will be launched. These satellites will follow a suborbital trajectory and will disintegrate upon re-entering the atmosphere.
According to the company, the Starlink V3 models have larger dimensions, which should considerably increase the capacity of the satellite internet network. The satellites will also attempt to establish communication with the Starlink constellation using high-capacity lasers before reaching the atmosphere. Six of these units will be equipped with cameras to record images of the Starship and the heat shield throughout the flight.
Should the launch need to be postponed due to technical factors or adverse weather conditions, SpaceX already has a new planned date of July 17, maintaining the same time. If the schedule is maintained, the public can follow the launch live on Olhar Digital News.
The broadcast on Olhar Digital will begin at 7:30 PM with the main highlights from Science and Technology areas. Subsequently, Marisa Silva will hand over to Bruno Capozzi, executive editor, and Marcelo Zurita, astronomer and columnist for Olhar Digital.
The flight history shows that Flight 1, in April 2023, ended with the Starship exploding while still attached to the Super Heavy, activating the destruction system due to engine failures. Flight 2, in November 2023, allowed for the initial separation of the ship from the Super Heavy, but the booster subsequently exploded, leading to the loss of the Starship before the flight concluded.
Flight 3, which occurred in March 2024, lasted approximately 50 minutes and represented significant progress, despite the ship being lost before the planned landing. In June 2024 (Flight 4), Starship achieved a controlled landing in the Indian Ocean, while Super Heavy landed in the Gulf of Mexico.
In October 2024 (Flight 5), SpaceX achieved the first capture of the Super Heavy on the launch tower, and Starship also executed a controlled reentry. Flight 6, in November 2024, recorded a controlled landing of the booster and the reignition of an engine in space.
Tests continued with Flight 7 in January 2025, which resulted in the loss of Starship after an explosion during the test. Flight 8, in March 2025, saw the upper stage lose stability about eight minutes after launch and be destroyed. Flight 9, in May 2025, marked the first reuse of a Super Heavy, although failures prevented some of the planned experiments from taking place.
Mission Flight 10, in August 2025, met important goals, including tests with satellite simulators, in-space engine reignition, and controlled reentry. Flight 11, in October 2025, successfully concluded the V2 phase of Starship, covering the controlled landing of Super Heavy, the ship's reentry, and new operational tests.
Finally, the first test of the V3 version, conducted in May 2026 (Flight 12), demonstrated notable advancements, such as the launch of satellite simulators and two modified Starlink satellites. However, the Super Heavy booster experienced a failure during the return attempt, as the engines did not reignite correctly after separation.
