Starship | Flight 13 — what you saw in the sky & launch recap

13th test flight of the two-stage Starship launch vehicle. Second flight of Starship V3. For the first time, Starship will carry 20 V3 Starlink satellites to space, which will extend solar arrays and antennas and will attempt to connect with ground stations in South Africa and the larger Starlink constellation via high-capacity lasers. 6 of the satellites have been modified with a suite of cameras to scan Starship’s heat shield and transmit imagery down to operators to continue testing methods of analyzing Starship’s heat shield readiness for return to launch site on future missions. Several tiles on Starship have been painted white to simulate missing tiles and serve as imaging targets in the test.

Rocket

Starship V3

Provider

SpaceX

Launch site

SpaceX Starbase, TX, USA

Status

Launch Successful

Liftoff time

• Jul 24, 2026, 10:51 PM UTC
• Jul 24, 2026, 6:51 PM Eastern
• Jul 24, 2026, 3:51 PM Pacific

What you saw

If you spotted a bright streak or contrail in the sky from Port Isabel, TX · South Padre Island, TX · Laguna Vista, TX or nearby, this launch is very likely what it was.

• Which way it headed: from Port Isabel, TX it first appeared low in the south-southeast sky, then climbed toward the east-southeast as it flew downrange.
• How long it was visible: from Port Isabel, TX, it rose into view about 5 seconds after liftoff and reached its highest point (roughly 38° above the horizon) around T+1m 30s; most viewers had it in sight for a few minutes.
• Daytime launch: In daylight, look for a bright rising contrail and the rocket itself as a moving point of light.

Visibility map: how far away could you see it?

Each ring shows how far away Starship V3 was line-of-sight visible that many seconds into flight: about 89 miles by T+30s, 192 miles by T+60s, and roughly 305 miles by T+90s. City dots are colored by the expected view quality; the table below has the direction to look from each.

Which cities could see this launch?

Estimated visibility from major towns near US launch sites, assuming clear skies and an open horizon at the time of liftoff. The 10 most likely first:

Where to look

A rocket lifts off below the horizon for distant viewers, then climbs into view as it gains altitude and flies downrange. Closer to the pad you'll see it within seconds; a few hundred miles away it can take three to six minutes to rise over the horizon. Find an open view in the direction shown for your city and start watching at liftoff.

Watch the live webcast Official launch details More from SpaceX ↗

Launch data from TheSpaceDevs Launch Library 2. Page generated August 30, 2026.