SpaceX clears Starship Flight 13 after Flight 12 mishap review

The FAA closed its Starship Flight 12 mishap investigation and cleared Flight 13 to proceed, with no public injury or damage to public property. SpaceX can move ahead once safety and licensing requirements are met. The review ended with 63 corrective actions for the company.

The company went public in June 2026 and began trading on Nasdaq after a record IPO, with shares opening at $150, about 11% above the $135 offering price.

Flight 12 lifted off from Starbase, Texas, on May 22, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. CT. It was the first flight of the Starship and Super Heavy V3 vehicles, the first to use Raptor 3 engines, and the first Starship launch from Pad 2. It was the first Starship flight to deploy modified Starlink satellites to image Starship in space. The mishap involved the Super Heavy booster as it returned to the Gulf of America after stage separation.

In its final report, the FAA identified two most probable root causes: heat effects on propulsion system components during ascent and erroneous engine alarm system settings. SpaceX identified four corrective actions, including hardware and software configuration updates. The FAA’s broader list included redesigns to prevent leaks and fires, a stronger launch pad, and additional reviews and testing as part of the 63 total corrective actions tied to the Flight 12 mishap.

SpaceX's previous Starship flight, Flight 9, launched on May 27, 2025, and marked the first reflight of a Super Heavy booster in the Starship program. By late June 2026, SpaceX had already completed a full-duration six-engine static-fire test on the next Starship vehicle.