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3 clusters · 12 sources · 15 days · First seen · Last updated

SpaceX Starship test program 2026

Overview

In late July 2026, SpaceX launched Starship Flight 13 from Starbase, achieving its sub‑orbital test objectives after earlier delays. The mission utilized the Block 3 configuration, featuring a Super Heavy B20 booster with 33 Raptor 3 engines and a Starship S40 upper stage with six Raptor engines. The flight successfully deployed 20 next‑generation Starlink Version 3 satellites, which utilized onboard cameras to capture the first in‑orbit video of the vehicle’s heat shield and engine firings.

Following ascent, the booster performed a boost‑back maneuver and executed a hard splash‑down in the Gulf of Mexico. The Starship upper stage achieved a controlled splash‑down in the Indian Ocean, where it remained afloat for over a week. While the vehicle remained largely intact, post‑flight analysis noted wear on ceramic tiles, providing critical data on thermal‑shield performance for future lunar and Mars missions. The flight also successfully demonstrated an in‑space Raptor engine restart.

Recent updates following the 13th flight indicate that atmospheric reentry observations showed less wear on the thermal protection shield than previously expected. Although SpaceX attempted to tow the upper stage toward the coast of Western Australia, Elon Musk noted that “a full recovery is unlikely due to the vehicle's current condition.”

SpaceX is now preparing for the 14th test flight, which aims to deploy additional Starlink V3 satellites and attempt a first‑of‑its‑kind recovery of the upper stage on land. This planned maneuver involves attempting to capture the upper stage using the launch tower’s mechanical arms in Texas, a technique previously used for the Super Heavy booster. Such milestones are viewed as essential steps toward SpaceX’s goal of a fully reusable orbital launch system and a potential launch cadence of one flight per day.

Entities

Starlink · SpaceX · Starship · Elon Musk · Super Heavy

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

Timeline

  1. 6 days ago

    [TECHNOLOGY] 5 sources
    SpaceX Starship completes 13th test flight with Starlink V3 deployment

    SpaceX's 13th Starship test flight successfully deployed 20 Starlink V3 satellites and showed improved thermal shield resilience, though full recovery of the upper stage in the Indian Ocean remains unlikely.

  2. 16 days ago

    [TECHNOLOGY] 7 sources
    SpaceX Starship completes 13th test flight, achieves ocean splashdown and deploys Starlink V3 satellites

    SpaceX’s 13th Starship test flight on July 24, 2026 launched from Texas, deployed 20 Starlink V3 satellites, captured in‑space video of the heat shield, and achieved a soft ocean splashdown of the upper stage.

  3. 21 days ago

    [TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
    SpaceX Starship Flight 13 succeeds amid six successful launches

    SpaceX’s Starship Flight 13 succeeded as six launches were completed last week, with more Starlink, Chinese Long March and a classified NRO mission planned for the coming days.

Sources

astronomy.com · banfield.com · canaltech.com.br · conteudos.cnnbrasil.com.br · friendsofnasa.org · gizmodo.es · keeptrack.space · olhardigital.uol.com.br · seucreditodigital.com.br · spaceanswers.com · telesatellite.com · torreonnoticias.com

This summary has been updated 3 times: see revision history