SpaceX is set to launch its 13th Starship test flight on Thursday, 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.
The mission will deploy 20 next-generation Starlink V3 satellites, expected to add 60 terabits per second of capacity to SpaceX’s internet constellation per launch. This represents over 20 times the capacity of a single Falcon 9 mission. The upper stage of Starship will relight a single Raptor engine in space and aim for a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean, while the Super Heavy booster will attempt a landing at sea.
The flight follows a successful static fire of all 33 Raptor engines on Booster 20, which occurred on July 9. Flight 13 will also be the second launch of the Starship V3 configuration, previously debuted on May 22 during Flight 12 from SpaceX’s new second launch pad at Starbase.
In a separate development, Tokyo-based ispace announced on July 8 that it has purchased 500 kilograms of payload capacity on a SpaceX lunar lander mission for approximately $50 million. The delivery is targeted for no earlier than 2030. This deal, disclosed at the Spacetide conference in Tokyo, is among the first commercial bookings for Starship’s lunar missions.
Under the agreement, ispace will create a Mobile Cargo System, which is a rover designed to transport customer payloads several kilometers from the Starship lander. Ispace aims to position itself as a “Lunar Asset Integrator,” providing comprehensive services from mission planning to surface operations.
Ispace CEO Takeshi Hakamada stated that the partnership enables “high-capacity, relatively low cost lunar transport” which is crucial for developing a sustainable lunar economy. The pricing for lunar transport is approximately $100,000 per kilogram, reflecting competition with smaller landers.
These developments indicate that SpaceX is advancing its test flight program alongside securing commercial contracts for lunar missions, in conjunction with government contracts such as NASA’s Artemis program.
