SPACEX DEPLOYS NEXT-GEN STARLINK SATELLITES ON 13TH STARSHIP TEST

SpaceX successfully deployed 20 third-generation Starlink satellites during the 13th test flight of its Starship mega-rocket on Friday, following weather delays. The satellites were designed to provide performance increases, with SpaceX stating they can support up to 1 terabit per second of downlink capacity — described as ten times greater than the V2 satellites — and 160 gigabits per second of uplink, representing a 22-fold increase from the previous generation. The satellites will remain in suborbital space for approximately 20 minutes before re-entering the atmosphere and burning up. However, SpaceX encountered a failure with its Super Heavy booster during a planned simulated landing in the Gulf of Mexico.

Two of the 20 satellites were modified with cameras to scan Starship's heat shield and transmit images to the ground for analysis, forming part of SpaceX's efforts to validate the reusable rocket's performance. The test flight marks the second deployment of the upgraded V3 version of Starship, which first flew during the 12th test flight in May. That earlier flight also encountered a failure of the Super Heavy booster during separation from the upper stage. The current flight aims to collect data that will support SpaceX's continued work towards a fully and rapidly reusable design.

The next-generation satellites will not yet deliver performance improvements to existing Starlink customers, as this flight serves as a functional test for the new hardware. The satellites are expected to extend their solar arrays and antennas to verify their ability to connect with the broader Starlink constellation using high-capacity lasers. SpaceX's Super Heavy booster failures on consecutive V3 flights indicate ongoing development work required before the system achieves operational status.