SpaceX Starship V3 completes 13th flight, deploys advanced Starlink satellites and achieves smoother re-entry
SpaceX's 13th Starship launch, the second V3 flight this year, successfully released a batch of new Starlink satellites and returned a largely intact booster to the ocean, marking the company's best re-entry performance to date.
SpaceX launched its Starship V3 from the Texas launch site, sending the 124-meter vehicle on an hour-long trajectory that included the deployment of 33 Starlink satellites at an altitude of about 200 kilometers. NASA monitored the flight, which is part of the program to qualify Starship for lunar missions under the Artemis program.
All first-stage engines ignited at liftoff, but the booster did not achieve a controlled return, descending rapidly and impacting the Gulf of Mexico before continuing eastward. The spacecraft then released the satellites one by one before re-entering over the Indian Ocean, where the booster floated upright and landed with minimal flame, a marked improvement over previous flights that ended in explosions or mid-air ruptures.
"We’re really pumped about this," said SpaceX engineer Kate Tice, describing the flight as "lucky flight 13."
"We got all the heat shield data we needed and then some!" Elon Musk wrote on X.
"Excited for what will be learned from this mission," NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman posted on X.
The newly launched Starlinks, equipped with cameras and sensors, captured images of the heat shield and transmitted data for about 20 minutes before re-entry. The heat shield carried both standard black thermal tiles and deliberately white-painted sections to simulate missing tiles for durability testing.
SpaceX plans to recover the booster using mechanical arms at its Starbase facility, aiming for full reusability. The company continues to develop Starship for lunar landings, future Mars missions, and commercial tourism.