Storm causes SpaceX Starship 13th test flight to be postponed again, Friday's mission to hit the final suborbital trajectory.

Due to the weather effects of tropical storm Bertha, SpaceX has canceled the scheduled launch of Starship's 13th test flight on Thursday local time, and the mission will be postponed to Friday. The company confirmed this delay on its X platform, stating: "Due to weather conditions, the target date for Starship's 13th test flight is now July 24. A core objective of this test flight is to obtain clear images of the Starship heat shield from the ground as the vehicle ascends to higher dynamic pressure regimes, which cannot be achieved with today's weather conditions." This 13th test flight is the second ascent of the Starship spacecraft and the Super Heavy booster V3 version since its maiden flight in the 12th test flight in May. This mission carries 20 production version third-generation Starlink operational satellites, marking the first time SpaceX has launched operational satellites on a Starship test flight, rather than mass simulator payloads. Six of the satellites are equipped with cameras to observe the heat shield from a different perspective during ascent, providing engineers with a second source of data apart from ground observations. If the Friday launch attempt is successful, the 13th test flight may be the final suborbital test for the program. SpaceX has planned to directly challenge orbital flight in the 14th test flight.