Latest Developments
SpaceX is preparing for the 13th integrated Starship test flight, targeting no earlier than July 16 from Starbase, with the mission set to deploy functioning Starlink satellites for the first time from the V3 vehicle. The company has disclosed fixes addressing anomalies from the mostly successful Flight 12, ahead of a mission that will subject Starship to higher structural pressures. Meanwhile, the Falcon 9 fleet continued its relentless cadence with back-to-back Starlink launches from both coasts, including a milestone 600th flight of a reused booster. The constellation now stands at 12,496 satellites launched, 10,799 in orbit, and 10,783 operational.
Space Safety
The current Starlink conjunction threat landscape includes two HIGH-risk events, both involving STARLINK-4621 and the non-operational SL-18 R/B on Jul 9, 2026 at 23:44 UTC with a minimum range of 0.011 km and collision probability of 1.0 - representing a critical conjunction requiring immediate monitoring. Six additional MODERATE-risk conjunctions are tracked across the constellation, primarily between operational and partially-operational Starlink satellites in early-to-mid July 2026. Complementing the conjunction picture, five Starlink satellites are currently predicted for reentry between Jul 13-17, 2026, with decay windows ranging from 43 to 1,140 minutes.
| Risk | Starlink Sat | Other Object | Status | Min Range (km) | Rel Speed (km/s) | Max Prob | Time of Closest Approach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HIGH | STARLINK-4621 | SL-18 R/B | Non-operational | 0.011 | 14.173 | 1.0 | Jul 9, 23:44 UTC |
| MODERATE | STARLINK-30464 | STARLINK-36196 | Operational | 0.048 | 10.027 | 0.1285 | Jul 4, 22:40 UTC |
| MODERATE | STARLINK-5106 | STARLINK-32760 | Operational | 0.049 | 10.192 | 0.1211 | Jul 11, 06:11 UTC |
| MODERATE | STARLINK-5400 | STARLINK-5781 | Partially Operational | 0.053 | 6.407 | 0.1203 | Jul 7, 15:32 UTC |
| LOW | STARLINK-36967 | LEMUR-2-AFFIE-WAUWIE | Operational | 0.038 | 7.332 | 0.0733 | Jul 8, 04:03 UTC |
| Satellite | NORAD ID | Predicted Decay | Window (min) | Inclination | Lat | Lon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STARLINK-1784 | 46687 | Jul 13, 20:32 UTC | 49 | 53.0° | 39.4° | 73.2° |
| STARLINK-2162 | 47748 | Jul 13, 20:36 UTC | 43 | 53.1° | -53.2° | 323.7° |
| STARLINK-1678 | 46538 | Jul 14, 11:51 UTC | 120 | 53.0° | -1.2° | 84.5° |
| STARLINK-2141 | 47731 | Jul 17, 09:19 UTC | 1,080 | 53.1° | -2.6° | 34.6° |
| STARLINK-3894 | 52499 | Jul 17, 09:20 UTC | 1,140 | 53.2° | -2.6° | 80.7° |
Detailed Coverage
Starship Flight 13 to Test V3 Fixes and Deploy Live Starlinks
SpaceX is targeting Thursday, July 16, for the launch of Starship Flight 13, the second flight of the upgraded V3 configuration, with a window opening at 6:30 p.m. ET from Starbase, Texas. The company has revealed what caused issues on the previous flight and implemented “a slew of changes” to address them, while pushing the vehicle to endure higher pressure loads during ascent and reentry. Notably, this mission marks the first attempt to deploy functioning Starlink satellites from the Starship payload bay, a critical milestone for the vehicle’s future role in constellation buildout.
Read the full story: Ars Technica
SpaceX Details Root Cause of Flight 12 Anomaly Ahead of Next Launch
Ahead of Flight 13, SpaceX disclosed the technical cause behind irregularities observed during Flight 12, which was otherwise considered mostly successful. Engineers have incorporated corrective hardware and software changes into the V3 Starship and Super Heavy booster for this next attempt, aiming to validate the fixes under real flight conditions rather than ground testing alone.
Read the full story: Space.com
Busy Week of Global Launches Includes Starship and Soyuz Crew Flight
NASASpaceFlight.com’s launch preview highlights a packed week with seven global launches, headlined by Starship Flight 13 and a Soyuz crew rotation mission to the ISS. The concentration of high-profile flights underscores the accelerating pace of both government and commercial spaceflight activity this month, with tracking networks closely monitoring reentry and orbital insertion windows for each mission.
Read the full story: NASASpaceflight
Falcon 9 Booster Reaches 600 Flights in Landmark Reflight Milestone
SpaceX launched the Starlink 10-45 mission from Cape Canaveral’s Pad 40, marking the 600th flight of a flight-proven Falcon 9 booster - a historic reusability milestone for the rocket family. The mission added 29 more broadband satellites to the constellation, continuing SpaceX’s rapid-fire deployment schedule from the East Coast.
Read the full story: Spaceflight Now
Vandenberg Falcon 9 Adds 27 More Starlinks to West Coast Shell
A separate Falcon 9 launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base’s Pad 4E, deploying 27 Starlink satellites as part of the Starlink 15-14 mission. Liftoff occurred at 6:28 p.m. PDT, reinforcing polar-orbit shell coverage as SpaceX balances launches between Florida and California ranges.
Read the full story: Spaceflight Now
Flight 13 Preparations Signal Confidence in V3 Starship Design
SpaceNews reports that SpaceX’s push toward a July 16 Flight 13 launch reflects growing confidence in the V3 Starship platform following Flight 12’s largely successful outcome. The mission will be closely watched by satellite trackers as the vehicle attempts full deployment of operational Starlink hardware, a step toward Starship eventually replacing Falcon 9 for bulk constellation launches.
Read the full story: SpaceNews
Live Coverage Tracks Countdown to Starship’s Next Big Test
Space.com’s ongoing live blog is tracking real-time updates as SpaceX finalizes preparations for Starship Flight 13, including static fire results, weather assessments, and range safety coordination at Starbase ahead of the July 16 target date.
Read the full story: Space.com
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 operational, while 1,697 have decayed.
- Total Launched: 12496
- Total On Orbit: 10799
- Total Working: 10783
Track Starlink satellites in real-time: Track Starlink
