SpaceX plans to launch the newest version of its Starship rocket later this week, after a mishap postponed an earlier planned mission and prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to require an investigation into the issue.

The company said Monday it is preparing to launch the flight test as soon as Thursday, with a launch window set to open in the evening. The mission would be the first flight for Starship "V3," a redesigned version of the vehicle that's aimed at deploying bigger satellites.

SpaceX had postponed a May test mission for the rocket after the booster didn't perform as expected, prompting the FAA to require the company to investigate the mishap.

The FAA announced the close of the investigation Monday. The federal regulator said it oversaw and accepted SpaceX's findings, which cited heat effects on propulsion system components during the ascent and erroneous engine alarm system settings as the two most probable root causes for the earlier problems. The FAA also accepted SpaceX's four corrective actions, including vehicle hardware and software configuration updates.

SpaceX said the launch will mark the first time Starship will carry V3 Starlink satellites to space, with the rocket expected to deploy 20 satellites which will attempt to connect with the larger Starlink constellation via high-capacity lasers.

Write to Kelly Cloonan at kelly.cloonan@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 13, 2026 10:46 ET (14:46 GMT)

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