Overview
- A T‑0 abort on July 16 occurred when four of Booster 20’s 33 Raptor engines failed to ignite and the vehicle’s automated shutdown prevented a launch with the deluge system already active.
- SpaceX rolled Booster 20 and Ship 40 back to the production site for inspections and replaced multiple Raptors, with observers reporting at least three engines from the booster at the McGregor test facility.
- On July 22 the company ran a post‑repair spin‑prime engine checkout on Booster 20 that trackers described as successful, and SpaceX is publicly targeting no earlier than July 23 for the next attempt.
- Engine‑startup reliability remains under formal review; early reporting says refurbished engines are unlikely to be the main cause but one refurbished Raptor did fail to start during the July 16 sequence.
- Flight 13 will both test vehicle fixes and carry 20 Starlink V3 satellites, so its outcome will affect Starlink deployment plans, SpaceX’s progress toward in‑space refueling and NASA’s Artemis timelines.