Starship Flight 13 deploys 20 Starlink V3 satellites and ship soft-splashes in Indian Ocean

Starship Flight 13 launched from Starbase, Texas, on July 24, 2026, the second flight of the V3 vehicle after Flight 12 in May. The ship deployed 20 Starlink V3 satellites, the first functional V3 satellites to fly, which were not meant to stay in orbit and re-entered after testing. The ship made a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean, while the booster landed in the Gulf of Mexico with not all of its engines relit for the landing burn.

• Launch: July 24, 2026, from Starbase, Texas
• 20 Starlink V3 satellites deployed; all re-entered after testing
• Ship splashed down intact in the Indian Ocean
• Booster landing burn did not relight all engines