SpaceX's Starship V3 still floating days after test flight

SpaceX's Starship V3 still floating days after test flight

SpaceX said the Starship V3 upper stage was still floating in the Indian Ocean on 29 July, five days after its suborbital test flight. According to Space, the flight launched from Starbase, Texas on 24 July, carried 20 Starlink V3 satellites and concluded with a soft splashdown off Western Australia, while CBS News reported that the Super Heavy booster splashed down hard in the Gulf of Mexico. Ars Technica noted that the company is evaluating a tower-catch concept for the vehicle on its next launch.

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SpaceX Elon Musk

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Starbase, Texas, United States

Articles

July 29, 2026
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SpaceX's Starship V3 remains afloat in Indian Ocean five days after test flight
SpaceX's Starship V3 remains afloat in Indian Ocean five days after test flight

Space • 29 Jul 14:00

SpaceX posted images showing the Starship V3 upper stage still floating off Western Australia five days after its July 24 suborbital test, marking the smoothest splashdown to date.

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July 27, 2026
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SpaceX's Starship completes 13th test flight, deploys 20 satellites and lands safely
SpaceX's Starship completes 13th test flight, deploys 20 satellites and lands safely

Space • 27 Jul 22:00

SpaceX's Starship V3 completed its 13th test flight on July 24, successfully deploying 20 Starlink satellites, re-igniting a Raptor engine in orbit and achieving a soft splashdown off Western Australia.

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SpaceX completes 13th Starship test flight, deploying satellites and achieving soft ocean landing
SpaceX completes 13th Starship test flight, deploying satellites and achieving soft ocean landing

USA Today • 27 Jul 13:01

SpaceX's 13th integrated test of its Starship launch system lifted off from Texas, deployed 20 Starlink satellites, saw the Super Heavy booster splash down hard in the Gulf, and achieved an intact soft landing of the upper stage in the Indian Ocean.

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July 25, 2026
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SpaceX plans tower catch for Starship after successful 13th test flight
SpaceX plans tower catch for Starship after successful 13th test flight

Ars Technica • 25 Jul 17:47

SpaceX's 13th Starship test flight ended with an intact splashdown in the Indian Ocean, prompting the company to consider catching the vehicle on the launch tower during its next flight.

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SpaceX Starship V3 completes 13th flight, deploys advanced Starlink satellites and achieves smoother re-entry
SpaceX Starship V3 completes 13th flight, deploys advanced Starlink satellites and achieves smoother re-entry

Fortune • 25 Jul 15:04

SpaceX's 13th Starship launch, the second V3 flight this year, successfully released a batch of new Starlink satellites and returned a largely intact booster to the ocean, marking the company's best re-entry performance to date.

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SpaceX conducts 13th Super Heavy-Starship test flight, booster splashes down hard off Texas coast
SpaceX conducts 13th Super Heavy-Starship test flight, booster splashes down hard off Texas coast

CBS News • 25 Jul 00:39

SpaceX launched its 13th Super Heavy-Starship test, achieving a successful suborbital flight for the Starship stage while the booster experienced engine problems that led to a harder-than-expected splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.

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July 24, 2026
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SpaceX sets July 24 launch for Starship Flight 13 after weather postponement
SpaceX sets July 24 launch for Starship Flight 13 after weather postponement

Space • 24 Jul 15:20

SpaceX will attempt the thirteenth test flight of its Starship rocket on July 24, targeting a 6:45 p.m. EDT launch window, after previous aborts and a weather-related delay.

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July 23, 2026
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SpaceX postpones Starship Flight 13 launch to July 24 due to weather
SpaceX postpones Starship Flight 13 launch to July 24 due to weather

Space • 23 Jul 20:53

SpaceX announced that the Starship Flight 13 test will now attempt liftoff on Friday, July 24 at 6:45 p.m. EDT, after a weather-related delay. The mission will carry 20 Starlink V3 satellites and will follow a sub-orbital flight profile.

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SpaceX plans Thursday retry of Starship's 13th test flight after engine issue fix
SpaceX plans Thursday retry of Starship's 13th test flight after engine issue fix

NewsNation • 23 Jul 13:17

SpaceX will attempt a second launch of its Starship rocket on Thursday, having replaced engines and updated the propulsion system following a last-second abort during the previous countdown.

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July 22, 2026
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SpaceX schedules Starship Flight 13 launch for July 23 after successful Super Heavy tests
SpaceX schedules Starship Flight 13 launch for July 23 after successful Super Heavy tests

Space • 22 Jul 16:32

SpaceX said additional pre-flight testing of the Super Heavy booster is complete and the Starship Flight 13 mission is slated for a 90-minute launch window beginning at 6:45 p.m. EDT on July 23, weather permitting.

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