SpaceX successfully launched Starship Flight 13 from its Starbase facility in Texas, achieving an intact ocean splashdown of the upper stage and deploying 20 next-generation Starlink Version 3 satellites. Although an engine ignition failure during the Super Heavy booster landing led to a high-velocity splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico, the test flight met its core objectives, validating Version 3 systems and acquiring more thermal protection data for future launch tower catch attempts.
