SpaceX conducted a significant test flight of its Starship rocket on July 25, launching from its facility in southern Texas. The towering 407-foot (124-meter) vehicle carried 20 of the company’s latest Starlink satellites, marking a key development in both the Starship program and SpaceX’s global internet constellation.

The mission involved the 13th flight of Starship, including the second test of the updated V3 version this year. NASA closely monitored the flight as part of ongoing preparations to use Starship for future lunar missions, including crewed moon landings. The spacecraft completed an approximately one-hour trajectory that covered roughly half the circumference of the Earth before splashing down in the Indian Ocean.

Unlike a typical orbital launch designed for hardware recovery, neither the booster nor the spacecraft was expected to be retrieved this time. While all engines successfully ignited at liftoff, a shortfall in engine relights during the booster’s descent resulted in the first stage crashing into the Gulf of Mexico. Despite the loss of the booster, the Starship continued its eastward ascent and released each of the 20 Starlink satellites at an altitude of about 124 miles (200 kilometers).

After deployment, the satellites operated for roughly 20 minutes, utilizing laser and radio communications to transmit data back to SpaceX. Engineers confirmed contact and successfully downloaded information from each unit before the spacecraft reentered Earth’s atmosphere. SpaceX reported that this flight’s reentry was the smoothest yet, with the spacecraft remaining upright and floating in the water with minimal fire damage—an improvement compared to previous missions, where vehicles were often destroyed by flames either during splashdown or midair breakup.

This test flight followed a recent delay due to engine issues observed during a prior attempt. SpaceX replaced six of the 33 engines on the first-stage booster after several failed to ignite, which had forced an abort just before liftoff. Earlier flights also experienced engine malfunctions, including a May flight when the booster lost control during its return, leading to destruction upon impact.

The Starlink satellites launched on this mission represent the most advanced versions to date. With more than 10,000 Starlink satellites currently in orbit, SpaceX operates the largest satellite internet network in the world. The successful deployment and data retrieval from these new units reinforce the company’s efforts to expand and enhance global broadband services.

SpaceX engineers and employees celebrated the progress of “lucky flight 13,” highlighting the incremental but critical advancements toward fully operational Starship vehicles capable of supporting both satellite deployment and crewed space exploration.