Latest Developments
SpaceX’s Starship Flight 13 dominates this week’s news cycle after achieving every mission objective and revealing a previously undisclosed in-flight test, even as experts caution that current heat shield technology remains a “dead end” for the rapid reuse SpaceX needs. On the regulatory front, the Trump administration granted Starlink an exemption from an FCC ban on foreign-made routers, a win for the constellation’s hardware supply chain. With 12,620 satellites launched and 10,865 currently operational, Starlink continues expanding while SpaceX juggles Falcon 9 cadence and long-term Starship reusability challenges.
Space Safety
Current conjunction and reentry assessments indicate elevated operational risk for the Starlink constellation in late July 2026. A HIGH risk conjunction has been identified between STARLINK-5262 and the MONOLITH satellite, with a minimum approach distance of 6 meters and maximum collision probability of 1.0 occurring on Jul 26, 2026 at 04:05 UTC - representing a critical threat requiring immediate conjunction assessment. Additionally, two Starlink satellites are predicted to reenter within the forecast window, with decay events spanning from Jul 28 through Jul 29, 2026.
| Risk | Starlink Sat | Other Object | Status | Min Range (km) | Rel Speed (km/s) | Max Prob | Time of Closest Approach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HIGH | STARLINK-5262 | MONOLITH | Operational | 0.006 | 5.794 | 1.0 | Jul 26, 04:05 UTC |
| HIGH | STARLINK-5262 | MONOLITH | Operational | 0.006 | 5.794 | 1.0 | Jul 26, 04:05 UTC |
| Satellite | NORAD ID | Predicted Decay | Window (min) | Inclination | Lat | Lon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STARLINK-1719 | 46331 | Jul 28, 00:35 UTC | 59 | 53° | -53° | 319.4° |
| STARLINK-1666 | 46357 | Jul 29, 19:32 UTC | 780 | 53° | -39° | 65.9° |
Detailed Coverage
Starship Flight 13 delivers a clean sweep of test objectives
SpaceX’s 13th Starship test flight produced striking visuals and, more importantly, checked off every mission objective on the flight plan. The megarocket’s performance delivers a major confidence boost for the program after a string of earlier flights plagued by upper-stage anomalies, with highlight reels showing stable ascent, orbital insertion, and controlled reentry behavior.
Read the full story: Space.com
Musk reveals SpaceX ran a secret test during Flight 13
Elon Musk disclosed that SpaceX quietly conducted an undisclosed test on a specific vehicle component during last week’s Flight 13 launch. Musk framed the mission as one of the most successful in Starship’s history, noting that all publicly stated objectives were met alongside the hidden experiment, though he did not fully detail what was being validated.
Read the full story: Teslarati
Heat shield tech called a “dead end” for rapid Starship reuse
Despite Flight 13’s success, experts interviewed by Ars Technica argue that Starship’s current thermal protection system won’t support the fast turnaround reuse SpaceX envisions. The report highlights that NASA has not meaningfully invested in thermal protection research in decades, leaving SpaceX largely alone in solving a problem critical to achieving airline-like Starship flight rates.
Read the full story: Ars Technica
Starlink routers dodge Trump administration’s foreign-hardware ban
The FCC, under direction from the Trump administration, has exempted Starlink from a ban targeting foreign-manufactured network routers. The carve-out is notable because while Starlink operates a Texas manufacturing facility, some of its router hardware is produced in Vietnam, and the exemption shields the company from potential supply disruptions or compliance costs.
Read the full story: Ars Technica
Musk’s Terafab megaproject nears a final site decision
Elon Musk said on Tesla’s latest earnings call that his sprawling “Terafab” facility - envisioned as the first true integration point across his companies, including SpaceX and Starlink manufacturing needs - will get a final location announcement soon. Musk promised additional details on the project’s scope once the site is confirmed.
Read the full story: Teslarati
Falcon 9 joins a busy global launch week
NASASpaceFlight’s weekly preview outlines five orbital launches scheduled worldwide, including a SpaceX Falcon 9 mission alongside China’s Chang Zheng 6A. The steady cadence underscores Falcon 9’s continued role as the workhorse deploying Starlink batches and other payloads even as Starship testing captures headlines.
Read the full story: NASASpaceFlight
Constellation Status
There have been no changes to the Starlink constellation since the last check. The constellation currently consists of 12,620 total launched satellites, with 10,881 remaining in orbit, 10,865 of which are operational, while 1,739 have decayed from orbit.
- Total Launched: 12620
- Total On Orbit: 10881
- Total Working: 10865
Track Starlink satellites in real-time: Track Starlink
Wondering about the totals? See how many Starlink satellites are in orbit, updated daily.
