Starship 13th test flight returns to pad after engine swap
SpaceX is targeting Friday evening for Starship’s next test after a July 16 abort led engineers to replace engines in Texas.
By Maya Lindqvist · Senior Technology Correspondent
2 min read
SpaceX has put Starship back on the pad for its Starship 13th test flight after a July 16 abort forced extra work in South Texas, Ars reported. The flight matters because Ars said a clean launch and reentry would leave SpaceX close to trying an orbital Starship flight later this year.
The launch had been expected a week earlier, but engineers stopped the attempt in the final moments of the countdown, according to Ars. SpaceX then moved the booster back to its hangar and changed engines before returning the vehicle to the launch site.
When is the Starship 13th test flight?
Liftoff is set for Friday evening, according to Ars. The report said Starship is back on the launch pad after the engine work that followed the July 16 abort.
Starship is SpaceX’s large rocket and spacecraft system under test for future orbital flights. In this test, Ars said the key milestone would be completing both launch and reentry without major problems.
Ars said it planned a full recap after the test flight is completed. No additional launch window details were given in the report.
India’s private launcher reaches orbit on debut
The same Ars report said India also marked a major commercial launch milestone with Skyroot Aerospace’s Vikram-1 rocket reaching orbit on its first flight. Indian space officials described the debut as a “grand success,” according to Ars.
Vikram-1 is India’s first fully commercial satellite launcher, Ars reported. The rocket lifted off from India’s main spaceport on Sriharikota Island, an island launch site in the Bay of Bengal.
According to Ars, the rocket climbed to an orbit about 280 miles above Earth. The flight took place around midday local time after a delay of more than half an hour caused by a late technical issue.
The countdown resumed after that issue was addressed, Ars reported. Controllers then commanded ignition of Vikram-1’s solid-fueled first-stage booster, sending the rocket off the launch pad.
What is Vikram-1?
Vikram-1 is a satellite launcher developed by Skyroot Aerospace, a private Indian company, according to Ars. Its successful debut makes it India’s first fully commercial rocket to reach orbit.
The two developments point to a busy stretch for launch providers: SpaceX is trying to advance Starship toward an orbital attempt, while Skyroot has demonstrated a private Indian path to orbit. Ars reported both items as part of its Rocket Report launch roundup.
This story draws on original reporting from Ars Technica.