SpaceX is set to launch its 13th Starship test flight on July 16, carrying operational payloads for the first time. The 90-minute launch window will open at 5:45 p.m. CT from Starbase, Texas. This mission will deploy 20 next-generation Starlink V3 satellites, adding 60 terabits per second of capacity to SpaceX’s internet constellation, which is more than 20 times the capacity delivered by a single Falcon 9 mission.
The upper stage of the Starship will relight a single Raptor engine in space and attempt a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean. The Super Heavy booster is also set to attempt a landing at sea during this flight. A successful static fire of all 33 Raptor engines on Booster 20 was completed on July 9. Flight 13 will be the second launch of the Starship V3 configuration, which debuted on May 22 during Flight 12.
On July 8, Tokyo-based ispace announced it purchased 500 kilograms of payload capacity on a SpaceX Starship lunar lander mission for approximately $50 million. The delivery for this ispace mission is targeted for no earlier than 2030. This deal represents one of the first concrete commercial bookings for Starship lunar missions and was disclosed at the Spacetide conference in Tokyo.
Under the agreement, ispace will develop a Mobile Cargo System, a rover designed to transport customer payloads from the Starship lander. ispace is positioning itself as a “Lunar Asset Integrator,” providing services from mission planning to surface operations. CEO Takeshi Hakamada described the deal’s potential for “high-capacity, relatively low cost lunar transport.”
The pricing for this service is about $100,000 per kilogram to the lunar surface, which is competitive compared to smaller landers. These developments illustrate how SpaceX is advancing Starship with ongoing testing while securing paying customers, including a variant for NASA’s Artemis program.
