Starship-Super Heavy Test Program Achieves Milestones With Flight 13

Irene Klotz July 31, 2026

starship floating in the sea — Five days after splashdown, the Starship remained afloat in the Indian Ocean.

Credit: SpaceX

After a successful full-duration flight test and landing system demonstration, SpaceX’s next-generation Starship-Super Heavy launcher is on the cusp of orbital flight and tower returns. Starship-Super Heavy Version 3 (V3) is intended to evolve quickly into an operational system for NASA and other...

Irene Klotz

Irene Klotz is Senior Space Editor for Aviation Week, based in Cape Canaveral. Before joining Aviation Week in 2017, Irene spent 25 years as a wire service reporter covering human and robotic spaceflight, commercial space, astronomy, science and technology for Reuters and United Press International.

Starship-Super Heavy Test Program Achieves Milestones With Flight 13 is available to both Aviation Week & Space Technology and AWIN subscribers.

Subscribe now to read this content, plus receive critical analysis into emerging trends, technological advancements, operational best practices and continuous updates to policy, requirements and budgets.

Already a subscriber to AW&ST or AWIN? Log in with your existing email and password.

Subscribe Log in