Latest Developments

SpaceX is targeting May 19 for the maiden flight of Starship Version 3, the most extensively redesigned iteration of its megarocket yet, lifting off from the newly completed Launch Pad 2 at Starbase, Texas. The vehicle carries sweeping upgrades across the Super Heavy booster, Starship upper stage, and Raptor 3 engines — changes critical not only to SpaceX’s reusability ambitions but to NASA’s Artemis 3 lunar landing, currently scheduled for 2027. On the regulatory front, the FCC has approved SpaceX’s acquisition of EchoStar spectrum to accelerate Starlink’s direct-to-device service, subject to a $2.4 billion escrow condition that drew sharp criticism from smaller carriers. With 10,359 working satellites now maintaining the Starlink constellation across 10,375 objects in orbit, the spectrum expansion positions the network for a major capability leap in ground-penetrating mobile coverage.

Space Safety

The current Starlink conjunction threat picture shows four moderate-risk events in April 2026, with the highest risk conjunction involving STARLINK-33563 and COSMOS 2251 DEB on April 13 (maximum probability 0.3973). While no conjunctions currently exceed HIGH risk thresholds, the moderate-risk events warrant continued monitoring given the operational status of the Starlink satellites involved and the relatively short minimum ranges. Concurrently, three Starlink satellites are predicted to reenter within a 2-day window in mid-May 2026, with ±7–14 hour decay uncertainties typical for this prediction window.

Detailed Coverage

Starship V3 Locked for May 19 Debut — Here’s What’s New

SpaceX has officially targeted May 19 for the first launch of Starship Version 3, ending months of anticipation around the next major evolution of the world’s most powerful rocket. The new vehicle incorporates dozens of changes across every major system: the Super Heavy booster features redesigned propellant loading and structural refinements, the Starship upper stage carries updated thermal protection and payload bay improvements, and Raptor 3 engines promise higher thrust and improved reliability margins across the stack.

Critically, this flight will also debut Launch Pad 2 — a completely rebuilt ground infrastructure that SpaceX has been constructing for two years. The pad is engineered to support higher launch cadence and incorporates lessons from the first pad’s operational history. Success here is a direct prerequisite for Artemis 3, making this one of the highest-stakes test flights in the Starship program’s history.

Read the full story: SpaceFlightNow

Launch Pad 2 Reaches Readiness After Two Years of Construction

NASASpaceFlight has published a detailed look at SpaceX’s second Starship launch complex at Starbase, which is now approaching its first operational test. The pad represents a ground-up redesign rather than an incremental upgrade — incorporating a revised flame trench, updated propellant storage, and a new mechanical support structure intended to handle the increased performance envelope of V3-class vehicles.

The construction timeline stretched across two full years and overlapped with multiple Starship flight tests conducted from the original pad, giving SpaceX real operational data to inform Pad 2’s final configuration. First ignition will serve as a validation event for the infrastructure as much as for the rocket itself.

Read the full story: NASASpaceFlight

FCC Approves Starlink’s EchoStar Spectrum Buy — With a $2.4B String Attached

The Federal Communications Commission has granted SpaceX regulatory approval to acquire EchoStar’s spectrum licenses, a move that will significantly bolster Starlink’s direct-to-device capability across the United States. The approval comes with a notable condition: SpaceX must place $2.4 billion into escrow, tied to unresolved disputes over EchoStar’s previously abandoned terrestrial 5G buildout obligations.

The deal drew immediate criticism from smaller carriers who argue the FCC facilitated a transaction that preferentially benefits two of the largest players in the U.S. connectivity market — AT&T and SpaceX — at the expense of competitive spectrum access. For Starlink, however, the acquired licenses address a key bottleneck in expanding the bandwidth available for satellite-to-smartphone services, a segment where the constellation’s 10,359 operational satellites provide unmatched global reach.

Read the full story: SpaceNews

Small Carriers Cry Foul as FCC Clears AT&T and Starlink Spectrum Play

Ars Technica reports that the FCC’s approval of the EchoStar spectrum transfer has ignited a backlash from independent and regional carriers, who characterize the decision as a politically guided outcome rather than a neutral regulatory one. Critics point to public pressure from FCC Chair Brendan Carr on EchoStar to divest its licenses as evidence that the process was tilted from the outset.

The dissenting voices argue that concentrating valuable mid-band spectrum in the hands of AT&T and SpaceX will entrench market dominance and undercut the competitive landscape for rural and underserved connectivity. The outcome nonetheless marks a significant strategic win for Starlink’s D2D roadmap, which depends on terrestrial spectrum pairing to deliver full cellular-equivalent service from orbit.

Read the full story: Ars Technica

Starlink Confirmed Live on Air Force One Over the Pacific

Elon Musk confirmed this week that Starlink internet connectivity is operational aboard Air Force One, the U.S. presidential aircraft, after a photo surfaced showing him and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang aboard the jet during a flight to Beijing with President Trump. Musk’s characteristically brief confirmation — a single “Yup!” — nonetheless verified what many in the industry had speculated: that America’s most sensitive government aircraft now relies on commercial satellite broadband for its communications backbone.

The disclosure is notable from a satellite tracking perspective: Air Force One’s trans-Pacific routing would take it well outside the coverage footprint of traditional geostationary connectivity solutions, making Starlink’s low-Earth constellation — with its near-global coverage from 10,359 working satellites — a uniquely capable solution for seamless high-speed access at any latitude and altitude.

Read the full story: Teslarati

SpaceX Eyes International Sites for Future Starship Launches

SpaceX has acknowledged it is actively evaluating launch site options for Starship beyond its existing facilities in Texas and Florida, including potential locations outside the United States. Company representatives described the effort as “constantly exploring” to identify infrastructure that could support the rocket’s commercial, government, and eventual interplanetary mission profiles.

While no specific international candidates were named, the disclosure signals that SpaceX views Starbase and Kennedy Space Center as insufficient alone to meet the ambitious launch cadence targets associated with Starship’s long-term roadmap — including Mars cargo missions and point-to-point Earth transport. Foreign launch sites would introduce complex regulatory and licensing considerations, but could offer geographic advantages for certain orbital inclinations and reduce range congestion at domestic facilities.

Read the full story: Space.com

Starship V3’s Full Upgrade List: Raptor 3, Structural Overhauls, and More

Teslarati has published a detailed breakdown of the engineering changes incorporated into Starship Version 3, drawing on SpaceX’s official release ahead of the May 19 target. The list is extensive: Raptor 3 engines deliver improved specific impulse and better thermal management, the Super Heavy booster has received structural reinforcements and propellant system refinements, and the Starship upper stage features revised heat shield tiles and updated avionics architecture.

SpaceX framed the V3 package as a holistic maturation of the vehicle rather than a targeted fix for any single failure mode — a reflection of the iterative development philosophy that has characterized the program since its earliest test articles. If the May 19 flight proceeds and meets its primary objectives, V3 will become the baseline configuration for Artemis 3 crew lander preparations and all subsequent high-priority Starship missions through at least 2027.

Read the full story: Teslarati

Constellation Status

No changes have occurred in the Starlink constellation since the last check. The constellation maintains its current totals of 11,979 launched satellites, with 10,375 currently in orbit, 10,359 operational, and 1,604 that have decayed.

• Total Launched: 11979
• Total On Orbit: 10375
• Total Working: 10359

Track Starlink satellites in real-time: Track Starlink