Latest Developments

SpaceX is preparing for the 13th integrated flight test of Starship, targeting a launch as early as Thursday, July 16, from Starbase in South Texas. The mission comes roughly seven weeks after Flight 12 on May 22, reflecting the company’s continued push to accelerate its test cadence and resolve outstanding vehicle issues. A key objective for this flight is the successful deployment of functioning Starlink satellites, a milestone that has proven elusive in recent tests. With the broader Starlink constellation now standing at 12,496 satellites launched, 10,799 in orbit, and 10,783 operational, Starship’s ability to reliably deploy next-generation satellites remains central to SpaceX’s long-term deployment strategy.

Space Safety

The Starlink conjunction assessment reveals one critical HIGH-risk event involving STARLINK-4621 and the defunct SL-18 R/B debris object on Jul 9, 2026, with a minimum range of 11 meters and a collision probability approaching certainty. Beyond this acute threat, six MODERATE-risk conjunctions are tracked across the Starlink mega-constellation, primarily involving partially operational satellites with collision probabilities ranging from 12-13%. Concurrently, four Starlink satellites are predicted to reenter Earth’s atmosphere between Jul 13-14, 2026, with decay windows ranging from 48 to 480 minutes.

Detailed Coverage

Starship Flight 13 Launch Window Set for July 16

SpaceX has announced a 90-minute launch window opening at 5:45 p.m. CT on July 16 for Starship’s next integrated flight test from Starbase. The flight follows Flight 12, which flew on May 22, marking roughly a seven-week turnaround between tests - a pace that underscores SpaceX’s push to iterate quickly on the Starship program despite ongoing technical challenges.

Read the full story: Teslarati

SpaceX Targets Fixes from Previous Flight Issues

According to SpaceNews, Flight 13 is designed specifically to test corrections to problems identified during the prior mission. The upcoming test will be closely watched for whether SpaceX has resolved issues that previously prevented successful satellite deployment, a critical capability as the company looks to use Starship for bulk Starlink launches in the future.

Read the full story: SpaceNews

Starlink Deployment Remains Key Test Objective

Both reports emphasize that deploying functioning Starlink satellites is a primary goal of Flight 13, following incomplete or unsuccessful deployment attempts on earlier Starship flights. Demonstrating reliable satellite dispensing from Starship would represent a major step toward validating the vehicle as a future high-capacity launch platform for the next generation of Starlink satellites, potentially reshaping deployment cadence for the constellation moving forward.

Read the full story: SpaceNews

Accelerating Test Cadence Signals Program Confidence

The roughly seven-week gap between Flight 12 and Flight 13 is notably tighter than earlier intervals in the Starship test campaign, suggesting SpaceX is gaining confidence in its production and refurbishment pipeline at Starbase. Analysts tracking the program note that a faster cadence, if sustained, would be essential for SpaceX to meet ambitious targets tied to both Starlink megaconstellation buildout and future crewed and cargo missions.

Read the full story: Teslarati

Constellation Status

There have been no changes to the Starlink constellation since the last check. The constellation currently consists of 12,496 total launched satellites, with 10,799 remaining in orbit, 10,783 of which are functioning properly, while 1,697 have decayed from orbit.

• Total Launched: 12496
• Total On Orbit: 10799
• Total Working: 10783

Track Starlink satellites in real-time: Track Starlink