SpaceX Starship completes 13th test flight, deploys first V3 Starlinks

SpaceX's Starship launched its 13th test flight on July 24, 2026, from Starbase, Texas, achieving an intact splashdown in the Indian Ocean for the first time. The mission briefly deployed 20 upgraded V3 Starlink satellites, which remained in suborbital trajectory and burned up about 20 minutes after release Source: AP News. The booster, however, suffered another failure during its return, hitting the Gulf of Mexico harder than intended due to engine relight issues Source: TechCrunch.

Mission Successes and Data Collection

The Starship upper stage survived reentry with minimal heat shield damage, floating upright in the Indian Ocean after a controlled tip-over. SpaceX engineers flew drones to inspect the heat shield, gaining critical data on its performance under high dynamic pressure Source: Ars Technica. Six of the deployed Starlink satellites carried cameras to photograph the heat shield Source: CNA. The flight also tested a higher-stress trajectory to improve rocket efficiency Source: CNN.

Booster and Engine Challenges

The Super Heavy booster failed to relight all its engines for a controlled splashdown, resulting in a harder impact than planned. This was the second consecutive booster failure for the V3 Starship version. SpaceX had replaced six engines after a launch abort on July 16 due to ignition issues Source: AP News.

What's Next

Elon Musk stated that if data review finds no problems, the next flight will attempt to catch the Starship ship using the launch tower's mechanical arms Source: Ars Technica. The successful deployment of V3 Starlink satellites, though suborbital, marks progress toward expanding SpaceX's satellite internet constellation. NASA also relies on Starship for its Artemis lunar landing missions Source: CNBC.