# Raptor Engine

Type: Technology

Source: Space & Defense Intelligence Brief — https://getspacebrief.com/entity/raptor-engine
Canonical HTML page: https://getspacebrief.com/entity/raptor-engine

## Timeline

- **2026-07-24**: Liftoff of Starship Flight 13 — Starship and Super Heavy V3 lifted off from Starbase, Texas, at approximately 6:45 p.m. CDT on a suborbital trajectory.
- **2026-07-24**: Booster Splashdown in Gulf of Mexico — After separation, the Super Heavy V3 booster performed a controlled descent and soft splashdown; no tower catch was attempted.
- **2026-07-24**: First Starlink V3 Satellite Deployment — Starship released 20 next‑generation Starlink V3 satellites from its payload bay; the satellites burned up during reentry about 20 minutes later as planned.
- **2026-07-24**: Starship Splashdown in Indian Ocean — The upper stage survived reentry, restarted a Raptor engine in space, and made a soft, upright splashdown while continuing to transmit telemetry and video.
- **2026-07-23**: Launch Window Opens at 6:45 PM ET — 13th Starship test flight from Starbase, Texas, aiming to deploy 20 Starlink V3 satellites and achieve full mission objectives including controlled booster landing and upper stage splashdown.
- **2026-07-23**: Launch Scrubbed Due to Weather — SpaceX postponed the 13th flight test by one day because cloud cover and visibility would have prevented clear heat shield imagery during ascent.
- **2026-07-21**: New Launch Date Announced — SpaceX reschedules the launch to July 23 and confirms replacement of two Raptor engines along with additional modifications.
- **2026-07-16**: Launch Attempt Scrubbed — Initial Starship Flight 13 launch was aborted due to issues with several of the 33 Raptor engines.
- **2026-05-15**: Flight 12: Starship S39 Explodes After Splashdown — The first V3 Starship vehicle completed a suborbital flight but exploded shortly after a splashdown, prompting software and hardware fixes.

## Recent coverage (2 stories)

### Starship Flight 13 Deploys 20 Starlink V3s, Nails Splashdown
2026-07-25 03:04:59 · Sentiment: Very Bullish · Impact: 7/10 · Sources: 2

SpaceX’s 13th Starship test flight on July 24, 2026, marked the first deployment of 20 next‑gen Starlink V3 satellites and a controlled Indian Ocean splashdown. The mission validated critical systems—Raptor restart, heat shield upgrades, and payload bay operations—that pave the way for lunar landings and large‑scale constellation build‑out.
Full story: https://getspacebrief.com/story/spacex-starship-flight-13-20-starlink-v3-deployed-splashdown

### SpaceX Starship Flight 13: 20 Starlink V3 Satellites Deploy July 23
2026-07-21 13:48:52 · Sentiment: Neutral · Impact: 6/10 · Sources: 3

SpaceX's 13th Starship test flight on July 23 is poised to deliver the first 20 next-generation Starlink V3 satellites to orbit, testing full mission reuse and critical technologies for Artemis lunar landings.
Full story: https://getspacebrief.com/story/starship-flight-13-starlink-v3-launch

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