Key TakeawaysSpaceX conducted Starship’s 13th test mission on Friday from its Starbase facility in Texas — marking the inaugural launch following last month’s public offering.The Super Heavy booster experienced a rough ocean landing in the Gulf of Mexico when only partial engine reignition occurred.The Starship upper stage successfully achieved a controlled descent into the Indian Ocean, remaining structurally sound.The mission marked the debut deployment of 20 next-generation Starlink V3 satellites into orbit.SPCX shares have declined during four of the last five trading weeks, tumbling 43% from the June 16 high and remaining beneath the initial public offering price.Shares of SpaceX (SPCX) continue trading beneath their initial public offering level following the completion of the company’s 13th Starship test mission Friday night at Starbase in South Texas. The equity has retreated 43% from its highest closing price recorded on June 16 and has posted losses across four of the previous five weeks.Space Exploration Technologies Corp., SPCXThis mission represented the initial launch following SpaceX’s historic initial public offering completed in the prior month. The flight also served as the second evaluation of the upgraded V3 Starship variant, representing the newest iteration of the planet’s most powerful launch vehicle.Approximately two minutes after liftoff, the Super Heavy booster completed its separation from the Starship upper stage. During the descent phase, the booster initiated its engine relight sequence for the powered landing maneuver, but achieved ignition on only a limited number of Raptor engines, culminating in an uncontrolled impact with Gulf waters.Splashdown confirmed! Congratulations to the entire SpaceX team on the 13th flight test of Starship! pic.twitter.com/g27YJCQgiN— SpaceX (@SpaceX) July 24, 2026The upper portion of the vehicle demonstrated superior performance. The Starship spacecraft executed a controlled ocean entry in the Indian Ocean, maintaining structural integrity and providing SpaceX engineers with unprecedented imagery of an undamaged thermal protection system following water impact.Mission commentators on the live broadcast referred to the outcome as “lucky number 13.”Approximately 18 minutes following launch, SpaceX achieved successful orbital insertion of 20 Starlink V3 communication satellites. This deployment represented the maiden operational flight for these advanced satellite units.Advanced Satellite Technology and Future GoalsThe V3 satellite generation features enhanced dimensions and capabilities compared to predecessor models. These units incorporate solar panel arrays capable of producing double the electrical output of earlier iterations. Manufacturing takes place at SpaceX’s production center located in Redmond, Washington.SpaceX is simultaneously advancing development of Starmind satellites, which are intended to function as space-based computing facilities.The Starship launch system represents a critical component of SpaceX’s strategy to scale the Starlink constellation. Additionally, the vehicle must achieve readiness for a NASA demonstration mission scheduled for next year that could pave the way for human lunar surface operations.Propulsion Challenges Prompt Industry ScrutinyTim Farrar, a satellite sector analyst with TMF Associates, acknowledged SpaceX’s advancement while noting the company “remains a long way from achieving rapid reusability of the entire ship.”He highlighted the engine restart failures as a significant issue. “Any similar failure during an attempted landing at the company’s launch site could cause severe damage to the launchpad,” he stated.Recent weeks have witnessed additional operational setbacks. SpaceX canceled a scheduled July 16 launch when the booster system initiated an automatic abort sequence, terminating engine startup procedures. A subsequent launch window on Thursday was postponed due to adverse meteorological conditions.The inaugural V3 mission conducted in May experienced multiple engine shutdowns that resulted in diminished vehicle performance.The previous week’s launch cancellation precipitated a stock price decline. SPCX shares remain valued below the initial public offering level.The post SpaceX (SPCX) Stock Slides as Starship Flight 13 Reveals Engine Challenges appeared first on Blockonomi.