Latest Developments

SpaceX’s Starship Flight 13 delivered a milestone the program has chased since its inception: the successful deployment of operational next-generation Starlink V3 satellites, marking the vehicle’s transition from pure test article toward genuine payload delivery. All 33 Raptor engines on the Super Heavy booster fired cleanly at liftoff from Starbase, Texas, and both stages executed controlled descents, with the upper stage completing what observers called the “softest splashdown” yet recorded. The flight directly addressed engine and staging issues that plagued the previous test, giving SpaceX a strong data set as it works toward full Starlink V3 constellation buildout. With 12,552 Starlinks launched to date, 10,844 currently in orbit, and 10,828 operational, this V3 deployment test signals the next phase of network capacity expansion once the vehicle reaches routine cadence.

Space Safety

The current Starlink conjunction threat picture is dominated by a critical HIGH risk event involving STARLINK-5262 and the MONOLITH payload, with a time of closest approach on Jul 26, 2026 at 04:05 UTC and a minimum range of just 6 meters - presenting a maximum collision probability of 1.0. This represents an exceptionally rare and severe conjunction scenario requiring immediate attention from conjunction assessment teams. Additionally, four Starlink satellites are currently under reentry prediction, with decay windows ranging from 120 to 1,140 minutes and reentries anticipated between Jul 24 - 28, 2026.

Detailed Coverage

Flight 13 breaks new ground with live Starlink V3 payload

Starship’s 13th suborbital test flight lifted off at 5:51 p.m. CT from Starbase on a mission unlike any prior attempt: deploying functioning Starlink V3 satellites from the ship’s payload bay while in flight. Previous test flights carried mass simulators or dummy payloads, so this marks the first time SpaceX has proven the vehicle can execute an actual operational satellite release, a critical capability gate for the program’s long-term role as a Starlink launch platform.

Read the full story: TESLARATI

Softest splashdown yet caps a “mostly successful” test

The 397-foot, two-stage rocket generated roughly 16 million pounds of thrust at launch and, after stage separation, both the Super Heavy booster and the Starship upper stage executed controlled splashdowns. Spaceflight Now characterized the flight as “mostly successful,” noting the booster and ship both survived reentry loads and touchdown maneuvers with notably reduced impact forces compared to earlier attempts, a key indicator of improving guidance and control software.

Read the full story: Spaceflight Now

SpaceX corrects prior flight’s engine snags

SpaceNews reports the July 24 flight specifically targeted anomalies observed during the previous Starship test, with engineers implementing fixes ahead of Flight 13. The corrections appear to have paid off: all 33 Raptors on Super Heavy performed nominally through ascent and boostback, suggesting the propulsion issues from earlier flights have been substantially resolved, though SpaceX has not detailed the exact root cause publicly.

Read the full story: SpaceNews

Weather delay, not hardware, pushed launch to Friday

Ahead of the successful flight, SpaceX pushed the Flight 13 attempt back to Friday, citing adverse weather over the Texas Gulf Coast rather than the technical issues that delayed earlier attempts. The shift highlights a notable change in the program’s failure pattern - recent scrubs have increasingly stemmed from range and weather constraints rather than vehicle readiness, a sign of growing hardware maturity at Starbase.

Read the full story: TESLARATI

Cosmic Log: “Lucky 13” clears the bar SpaceX needed

Independent spaceflight commentary framed Flight 13 as a pivotal validation moment, noting the 407-foot stack rose from Starbase with all engines lit and went on to demonstrate satellite deployment while remaining structurally intact through splashdown. The flight’s success reduces pressure on SpaceX’s timeline for scaling Starship into a repeatable Starlink V3 delivery vehicle, a step the company needs to relieve growing demand on Falcon 9’s launch cadence.

Read the full story: Cosmic Log

Rocket Report notes wider industry context around Starship’s window

Ars Technica’s weekly roundup placed the Starship test alongside other industry developments, including Relativity Space’s announcement of a second rocket factory near Cape Canaveral and lightning-related launch disruptions in China. The juxtaposition underscores how Starship’s incremental but real progress continues to draw comparison against rivals still working toward their own orbital-class reusable systems.

Read the full story: Ars Technica

Space.com: video capture shows dramatic splashdown sequence

Space.com’s coverage highlighted video footage of the splashdown sequence, calling it the softest touchdown Starship has achieved in its flight test campaign. The outlet noted the milestone comes after more than a dozen suborbital attempts, with SpaceX incrementally refining reentry profiles, flap control, and relight timing on the Raptor engines to reduce structural stress during the final descent phase.

Read the full story: Space.com

Constellation Status

The Starlink constellation has remained stable since the last check, with no new launches or orbital adjustments reported. As of July 18, 2026, SpaceX maintains 12,552 total satellites launched, of which 10,844 remain in orbit and 10,828 are actively working, while 1,708 have decayed from their operational altitudes.

• Total Launched: 12552
• Total On Orbit: 10844
• Total Working: 10828

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Wondering about the totals? See how many Starlink satellites are in orbit, updated daily.