Starship Heat Shield Advances, but Boundary Cracks Spark Reuse Doubts
Flight 13 was largely successful for Starship V3, including Starlink deployment and an intact heat shield, with notable improvements over earlier flights. But expert analysis spotted white streaks at tile boundaries and some cracked edges that suggest hot gas may penetrate boundaries, signaling that rapid reuse remains a major hurdle and that the thermal protection system may require extensive inspection and refurbishment. SpaceX has improved the shield incrementally, while experts urge renewed focus or new approaches to heat shield design.