Flight 13 (Booster 20?, Ship 40?) pre-flight preparations

[AndrewM]

Early updates and discussion thread for Starship flight 13 ahead of flight.

Separate threads will be created nearer launch. This will be the 2nd flight of Starship 'V3'. There is no official timeline for this flight at this point but with Flight 12 NET early 2026, this is also NET Q1 2026.

This flight will likely utilize Booster 20 and Ship 40.

This flight could be the 1st truly orbital Starship mission according to SpaceX VP of Build and Flight Reliability Bill Gerstenmaier.

“Next year, we step up to another version of both ship and booster, called V3 (Version 3),” Gerstenmaier said in response to a question from Ars. “It also has a new Raptor engine underneath, with more performance than the previous ones. So we’ll fly V3 (suborbital) first, and then if that’s successful, then we’ll probably go orbital after that with the next V3.”

[Sep. 9]

It could also be the 1st Ship catch according to Elon Musk [Aug. 27].

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1960816999371825302

Starship catch is probably flight 13 to 15, depending on how well V3 flights go

EDIT: Updated from Booster 19? to Booster 20? following Booster 18s RUD during testing

[AmigaClone]

I imagine two scenarios.
In the first case, the first LEO flight of V3 would end in a targeted splashdown off the coast of Texas. The second V3 LEO flight would likely see the first catch.

In the second case, the first LEO of V3 would include a plan to try to catch the Ship with Tower 1 - between the removal of the original OLM-1 and the installation of a new OLM with a design similar to OLM-2.

[wannamoonbase]

I imagine two scenarios.
In the first case, the first LEO flight of V3 would end in a targeted splashdown off the coast of Texas. The second V3 LEO flight would likely see the first catch.

In the second case, the first LEO of V3 would include a plan to try to catch the Ship with Tower 1 - between the removal of the original OLM-1 and the installation of a new OLM with a design similar to OLM-2.

If Flight 12 successfully flies a simulated return to Starbase and a simulated catch successfully, I think SpaceX will go for the full return and catch on Flight 13.

Returning the first starship to test recovery and to analyze the ship extensively will be of too much value.  There will be plenty of room for an abort to the gulf if things are not precisely on point.

That said, it's possible we don't see a second V3 flight until mid 2026.

[AndrewM]

Ship 40's Nosecone was included in the latest daily, "One last shower of flames from the old launch mount" | SpaceX Starbase published on November 5th.

[catdlr]

Ceaser G
@CeaserG33

Stacking of the second V3 ship (Ship 40) is currently underway; this will be the first time in quite a while that SpaceX has been stacking two ships at the same time.
@NASASpaceflight

https://twitter.com/CeaserG33/status/1986599705548059059

[AndrewM]

Updates on Ship 40 status through November through NSF Starbase "dailies". Each of these is the S40 Nosecone in the Starfactory with the timestamp of when the ship appears in the video.

[Nov. 9]

"Ship 40’s Nosecone Moved" at 3:11.

[Nov. 13]

"Ship 40’s Nosecone" at 5:10.

[Nov. 26]

"Ship 40’s Nosecone" at 3:18.

[Dec. 3]

"Ship 40’s Nosecone" at 12:18.

[catdlr]

Video clips to shorten the viewing time

Ship 40’s Nosecone Moved [Nov. 9]

Ship 40’s Nosecone  [Nov. 13]

Ship 40’s Nosecone [Nov. 26]

Ship 40’s Nosecone [Dec. 3]

[AndrewM]

Updates on Ship 40 status over the course of December through NSF Starbase "dailies". Each of these is the S40 Nosecone in the Starfactory.

"That's a GIGALOT of Steel" | SpaceX Starbase [Dec. 17]

"Aggressive venting: SpaceX's own fog machine"| SpaceX Starbase [Dec. 29]

[catdlr]

TPS evaluations taking place at Starbase on next two Ships to fly
written by Alejandro Alcantarilla Romera and Chris Bergin January 7, 2026