SpaceX Reschedules 13th Starship Test Flight to Thursday After Abort Due to Four Engine Ignition Failures

Published Jul 20, 04:08 PM UTC

SpaceX has rescheduled its 13th Starship test flight to Thursday, July 23, after an automated abort on July 16 due to four engine ignition failures. The abort erased $100 billion in market cap, highlighting Starship's critical role in SpaceX's valuation. The company plans to replace two Raptor engines and has made hardware/software changes to fix directional issues from test flight 12. Starship is central to SpaceX's AI strategy, including orbital data centers and AI compute satellites expected by 2028. Analysts view the setback as a short-term noise in a long-term infrastructure cycle, though the stock remains under pressure. The test will aim for successful launch, ascent, stage separation, and landing in the Gulf of America.