SpaceX Targets July 23 Launch For Starship's Thirteenth Flight Test W…

SpaceX will launch Starship Flight 13 on 23 July 2026, carrying Starlink V3 satellites to orbit for the first time and testing hardware and software fixes to booster engine restart reliability and stage separation orientation. The mission includes thermal protection system upgrades and will deploy 20 test satellites that will reenter after 20 minutes, with six carrying cameras to inspect Starship's heat shield in flight. SpaceX is moving Starlink V3 satellites from ground validation into operational flight testing; if you supply components to Starlink (antennas, laser links, power systems, thermal management), you're now in the critical path for a production constellation that's burning real cash on deployed hardware. The fixes to booster engine restart and tile mounting mean the company is locking down manufacturing repeatability—watch for supplier qualification tightening and volume ramps in Q4 2026.