SpaceX succeeds with Starship test flight as its Falcon 9 stage set to hit Moon in 2026

SpaceX conducted its thirteenth integrated flight of the Starship vehicle on 24 July 2026 from the Starbase launch site in Texas, USA. The launch achieved nominal ascent, stage separation, and a controlled first‑stage maneuver that aimed for a soft touchdown in the Gulf of Mexico. The second stage followed a sub‑orbital trajectory, opening its cargo bay to release twenty V3 Starlink satellites before returning to the Indian Ocean region.

Separately, the upper stage of a Falcon 9 rocket (designated 2025‑010D) that completed a 2025 mission will remain in a highly elliptical orbit before intersecting the Moon’s surface on 5 August 2026 at approximately 8,750 km/h. The impact will occur near the Einstein crater, creating an estimated 20‑30 metre diameter crater and providing a rare observational event for telescopes worldwide, with no risk to Earth.