Tootfinder

The 12th test flight of a #Starship was a mixed bag: good lift-off, loss of the booster, Starship limping into orbit, deployments fine, no Raptor relighting, fun reentry, RUD at the very end as planned. See https://skyweek.wordpress.com/2026/05/21/starship-vor-dem-12-test-erster-der-version-3 for maaany more screencaps from the webcast!

Some in-depth post-mortem videos about #Starship test flight 13: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBPz_YPlDwk and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kxanBYTAaY and specifically about the splash-down https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdfEbA9-YBU

Some screencaps of the #Starship 13 test flight, more in the thread https://bsky.app/profile/cosmos4u.bsky.social/post/3mrgigiliy22r - the Starship itself has performed flawlessly so far, deploying 20 doomed Starlink satellites and relighting an engine, but the booster lit only 5 instead of 13 engines and crashed harder into the Gulf of Mexico than planned.

The departure of the latest #Starship as seen from the booster falling behind - a rotated still from the clip https://x.com/SpaceX/status/2080826996490199070 released after the flight.

ICYMI: "The thirteenth flight test of #Starship is preparing to launch as early as Thursday, July 23. The 90-minute launch window will open at 5:45 p.m. CT." So says https://www.spacex.com/launches/starship-flight-13

The splash-down of the #Starship itself was just the opposite: for the first time it stayed intact and floated in the Indian Ocean, allong detailled inspection of the heat tiles - more screencaps in the thread https://bsky.app/profile/cosmos4u.bsky.social/post/3mrgohbrov22r

10 minutes til the planned launch of #Starship 13 - original webcast on https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1AJEmmYdMDnJL

"Now targeting Friday, July 24 for Starship’s thirteenth flight test, due to weather," SpaceX xeeted minutes ago: "A key objective for the flight test is to get clear imagery from the ground of Starship’s heatshield as it flies at a higher dynamic pressure during ascent, which won't be possible with today's weather conditions. Visibility is forecast to be ideal for a Friday attempt." #Starship

While there was no #Starship launch the #SpaceX webcast contained two unexpected segments, one about a vague plan of a space tourist flight - #Starlink Stargaze system described in https://starlink.com/updates/stargaze and https://breakingdefense.com/2026/01/spacex-unveils-stargaze-space-tracking-system/ and https://smallsatnews.com/2026/02/18/spacex-unveils-stargaze-system-to-revolutionize-space-traffic-management/: apparently there are numerous unlisted satellites in LEO which come so close to the Starlinks that cameras on the latter see them as bright objects. How could those objects have been missed by all space surveillance from the ground?

The first version 3 #Starship didn't go anywhere on the first attempt: first the launch was delayed twice by 1/2 hour, then it recycled again and again to t-40 seconds - because the hydraulic pin holding the tower arm in place did not retract: https://x.com/elonmusk/status/2057609682865254695 - until the time ran out. It it unclear whether the next attempt can come already 24 hours later or only next week the earliest.

The new t-zero for the #Starship test flight no. 12 is 23:30 UTC after two (unexplained) delays: independent webcasts are already on at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcNsHf607hU and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBu6JFjt0tk with the official one at https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1YxNrZwwomNxw now scheduled for 22:43 UTC.

This is, from #Starship to inspect it from the outside with cameras on its booms - according to https://x.com/SpaceX/status/2057845419523117292 the next launch attempt will be tonight between 22:30 and 0:00 UTC, with a webcast from 21:58 UTC at https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1pKkOykQRgNKj

The launch of #Starship 13 was aborted right at t zero - leading to a scrub for today, the rocket is already being detanked. No information on when the next attempt can happen.

The #Starship is still floating in the Indian Ocean after test flight number 13: https://nitter.net/SpaceX/status/2082186802912207064. It has travelled some way already: https://nitter.net/mcrs987/status/2082202679657349249. And it has just been decided to send a boat to recover it: https://nitter.net/elonmusk/status/2082244164197183805

And in #Starship 13 update: "To be confident of a good flight, 2 Raptors will be removed & replaced. Most probable launch timing is early next week."

RE: #Starship 13 test from 22:10 UTC on https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1MKgNNXAZdmxL

"Some of the engines didn’t start, triggering an automatic launch abort," says #Starship 13 launch attempt after 24 hours.

The twelfth flight test of #Starship is preparing to launch as soon as Tuesday, May 19: https://x.com/SpaceX/status/2054304050338750931 - the launch window will open at 22:30 UTC.