SpaceX successfully conducted Starship Flight 13 mission, its 13th suborbital test flight launching from Pad 2 at Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, at 2251 UTC on Friday (July 24). The mission marked the second flight of the upgraded Starship V3 vehicle and achieved several critical milestones, including the first deployment of functional Starlink V3 satellites and a significantly improved re-entry for the upper stage.

The 124-meter Ship-Booster megarocket combo lifted off successfully, with all 33 Raptor engines on the Super Heavy booster 20 (B20) igniting at launch. After main engine cutoff (MECO), the vehicles separated via hot-staging. B20 flipped and initiated its boostback burn using 13 engines, to steer back toward the Texas Gulf Coast.

As B20 dropped toward the Gulf, the landing burn system suffered incomplete engine ignition--only eight of the 13 required landing engines fired--causing the booster to enter the water faster than intended with a harder splashdown at about 8 minutes after liftoff, rather than executing a soft splashdown.

"It didn't look like we lit all 13 engines that we were planning for that initial landing burn," SpaceX spokesperson Dan Huot said in live commentary. "We were targeting a softer splashdown and, as you saw, it came in with quite a bit of velocity."

Ship 40 (S40) continued into a suborbital trajectory, successfully deploying all 20 Starlink V3 satellites over a 10-minute period starting at about 17 minutes after liftoff.

The V3 satellites extended their solar arrays and antennas, attempting laser communications with the existing constellation. Six satellites carried cameras to photograph the Starship heat shield. Because the trajectory was intentionally suborbital, the satellites reentered the atmosphere 20 minutes after deployment as planned.

Starship is designed to launch 60 Starlink V3 satellites at a time, spitting them out through a slit-like payload bay door like a giant PEZ candy dispenser. All 20 Starlink V3 satellites deployed smoothly, with the last two switching on flashlights and looking back at their Ship carrier before floating off into orbital darkness.

S40 tested its heat shield—including experimental white-painted tiles simulating missing thermal protection. About 39 minutes after liftoff, S40 reignited one of its six Raptor engines to test a critical engine relight capability that will allow future Starships to enter and leave orbit. The burn went off without a hitch.

Then it was time for reentry, with cameras beaming back stunning views of Starship wrapped in super-hot plasma as it fell back to Earth. Reentry telemetry held steady via Starlink internet. The spacecraft executed a three-engine burn, leading into a belly-flop descent, landing flip, and engine reignition for a soft touchdown in the Indian Ocean about 65.5 minutes after liftoff, as it shifted down to two engines, then one engine before it toppled over to rest on the waves.

The sight of a floating Starship triggered a cacophony of cheers from SpaceX teams at Starbase and its Hawthorne, California rocket factory in the company's livestream.

"Starship is intact, floating in the ocean and transmitting telemetry!" SpaceX CEO Elon Musk wrote on X.

"That is a first," Huot added as a drone beamed stunning views of Starship bobbing in the waves. "That is the softest splashdown we have ever had with Starship in the Indian Ocean."

"I'm a little over the moon right now," Huot later added. "Wow. Lucky number 13. Hell of a great day for Starship."

Summarizing the mission on their website, SpaceX writes, "On Friday, July 24, 2026, at 5:51 p.m. CT, Starship lifted off from Starbase, Texas on its thirteenth flight test. This was the second flight of the Starship and Super Heavy V3 vehicles and the first Starship flight to deploy the next generation Starlink V3 satellites.

"The flight test began with Super Heavy igniting all 33 Raptor 3 engines and ascending over the Gulf of America. The successful first-stage ascent was followed by a hot-staging maneuver, with Starship’s upper stage igniting its six Raptor engines to continue its flight to space.

"Following stage separation, the Super Heavy booster performed a directional flip maneuver. The startup sequence was modified for this flight to be more robust to timing variability in engine startup and flip in the desired direction, which is done to increase overall performance. The booster successfully completed the high thrust portion of the boostback burn with all 33 engines, the first time with a Super Heavy V3, before ending the burn early. It attempted to relight its engines for the landing burn, with a subset successfully igniting before experiencing a hard splashdown in the Gulf.

"After completing a full-duration ascent burn on all six Raptor engines, Starship achieved its planned velocity and trajectory. Starship then successfully deployed all 20 Starlink V3 satellites. SpaceX engineers were able to successfully communicate with every satellite using radio frequency and laser links and downloaded key telemetry from the satellites. The Starlink satellites were deployed on the pre-planned trajectory and are expected to have demised upon reentry approximately 20 minutes after deployment.

"The vehicle also reignited a single Raptor engine in an in-space demonstration of a core capability for future orbital missions.

"Starship re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere and was able to gather critical data on the performance of its heatshield before executing a dynamic banking move to mimic the trajectory that future missions returning to Starbase will fly. Starship then guided itself using its four flaps to the pre-planned splashdown zone in the Indian Ocean. After relighting all three Raptor engines, Starship executed a landing flip, landing burn, and soft splashdown, coming to rest intact in the Indian Ocean and providing critical views of an intact heatshield for the first time."

Flight 13 mission advanced SpaceX’s goals for Starlink expansion, as future flights will carry up to 60 Starlink V3 satellites. It also supports NASA’s Artemis III mission, where a modified Starship is scheduled to dock with the Orion spacecraft in Earth orbit in 2027. NASA has also tapped Starship to land its Artemis IV astronauts on the moon in 2028.

"Congrats on getting Flight 13 underway," NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman wrote on X after the launch. "Excited for what will be learned from this mission. When Starship comes online, its capabilities will be game-changing, not least of which will be ensuring we never give up the Moon again!" In a lunar coincidence, Friday's launch coincided with the 57th anniversary of the Apollo 11 astronauts' return to Earth after their historic moon landing flight.

The successful heat shield data and satellite deployment provide crucial insights for making Starship reusable and ready for operational missions, potentially including the first launch from Florida later in 2026.

Friday's launch followed a one-day delay caused by Tropical Storm Bertha and a previous abort on July 16, where six engines on the Super Heavy booster failed to ignite due to turbopump issues. SpaceX replaced the affected engines and implemented hardware and software modifications to address failures seen in Flight 12, specifically targeting improved engine relight reliability and boostback burn stability.

Iran has reportedly rejected a U.S. ceasefire proposal delivered by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi Thursday, following his meeting with President Donald Trump, citing the deal's failure to resolve control over the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials dismissed the offer as an unacceptable "temporary deal," with top negotiator Brig. Gen. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stating that the core issue is America's "outlook" rather than a lack of mediation.

Trump has threatened a "massive attack" on Iranian infrastructure and declared on Thursday, in a Truth Social post, that frozen Iranian assets will be used to pay for any future damage to ships or cargo on the Strait of Hormuz.

A frustrated Trump reportedly in "revenge mode," vented in a recent Oval Office meeting, calling Iranian leaders scumbags and lunatics. Administration officials say Trump believes force is the only thing Iran understands and sees few options besides continuing strikes. Vice President JD Vance and Trump's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff reportedly still believe a deal can be reached with the Iranians, while other advisers have given up on one.

Top White House aides have reportedly been warned by intelligence agencies that Iranians are trying to kill them, and told to stop using commercial car services.

Iranian military has proven to be an asymetrically formidable fighting force, frustrating Trump's hope that the Persian nation will agree to Washington's demands.

Satellite images reportedly show Iran rebuilding faster than expected. The Iranians have quickly rebuilt infrastructure damaged during months of U.S. and Israeli bombing, from missile bases deep inside mountains to bridges, ports and production facilities.

Planet Labs and Airbus imagery reportedly showed repairs at missile bases near Kangavar, north of Kermanshah, and at Dezful, where crews reopened collapsed tunnel entrances and repaved access roads within weeks. Partial reconstruction was visible at an IRGC-linked shipyard in Bandar Anzali on the Caspian and at Raja Shimi Industries near Tehran, assessed to produce missile components.

One Israeli military official said Iran repaired a bridge hit by three Israeli bombs within days. Officials also said that some strikes only collapsed entrances to deeply buried facilities, leaving the missiles inside intact. Ran Kochav, former commander of Israel's air and missile defense forces, said the recovery matches Iran's rebuilding record after the 12-day war in June 2025.

Trump reportedly said he is “close to making a decision” on a “massive attack” bigger than previous ones, adding the U.S. is “all set.” This follows a Situation Room discussions on wider escalation against Iran.

In response, Iranian officials warned that further U.S. aggression could trigger strikes on Tel Aviv and a Houthi-led blockade of the Bab al-Mandab strait, while global oil prices surged.

"Seizing another nation's assets to pay for unrelated future claims is an incendiary precedent," Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi wrote on X. "Those who celebrate or profit from such funds should remember: once governments normalize confiscation, no one's assets are safe. Ensuing chaos will not be pretty or peaceful."

At the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Manila, Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Trump’s policy toward Iran is “a head for an eye,” directly countering Araghchi’s declaration that Tehran’s defense doctrine is “an eye for an eye.”

Rubio asserted that Iran would “pay a very heavy price” for its actions, warning that the U.S. would “bomb and destroy” Iranian infrastructure (such as bridges or power plants) in response to attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. He claimed Iran is “begging” for a deal but is “not ready” because Tehran repeatedly breaks or attempts to change agreements. He warned that the cost to Iran rises “every night” as its industrial and defense infrastructure suffers damage.

Reacting to Houthis' attack on Saudi-flagged tankers, Rubio expressed hope that the Yemeni militants would stop, accusing Iran of having “suckered” the Houthis into targeting Saudi vessels in the Red Sea, which he described as a negative development for global stability. He emphasized that the U.S. goal is denuclearization rather than regime change.

US Military Strikes Iranian Targets For The 13th Consecutive Night

Meanwhile, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) carried out its 13th consecutive night of strikes on Thursday, beginning at 2245 UTC (6:45 p.m. ET) and concluding around 0100 UTC, July 24, (9 p.m. ET, Julky 23).

The military strikes targeted Iranian command centers, drone storage facilities, communication networks, and coastal surveillance sites to diminish threats to commercial shipping, claiming that the Strait of Hormuz remains open under U.S. military support. Explosions were confirmed in sensitive southern locations including Ahvaz, Omidiyeh, Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island, Andimeshk, Khandab, and Jask.

In response, Iran attacked U.S assets and bases in Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait.

The U.S. military deployed over 50,000 troops to the region for operations against Iran, and to secure maritime commercial traffic on the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20% of global oil flows.

Last month, Washington and Tehran signed a 14-point Memorandum of Understanding designed to pause military hostilities and restart formal nuclear and maritime negotiations. The agreement collapsed shortly after, triggering open conflict. Mediators (Iraq, Qatar, Egypt, Pakistan, Oman, etc.) have tried various short-term truces, but deep disagreements over Hormuz control and other issues persist.

As U.S. forces conduct nightly bombing runs, regional proxies including the Houthis in Yemen have launched attacks on Gulf oil tankers, driving global oil prices above $100 per barrel.

President Donald Trump in a Truth Social post Thursday, claimed that a newly signed U.S.-Saudi nuclear cooperation deal is contingent on Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords to normalize relations with Israel, and he asserted the agreement prohibits uranium enrichment.

While Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman signed the 30-year "123 agreement" on Wednesday to allow U.S. firms to develop Saudi Arabia's civilian nuclear program, Trump added the normalization condition via the Truth Social post Thursday, stating the deal "pertains only to non-military use" and involves "no enrichment of material." Saudi officials reportedly reject any changes to what has been signed by both countries

Conflicting reports exist regarding the deal's specific terms on enrichment and safeguards. Although Trump insists enrichment is banned, multiple sources indicate the agreement includes a provision for a joint U.S.-Saudi study to determine the feasibility of building a uranium enrichment facility in the kingdom in the future.

The deal notably excludes the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) "additional protocol" for snap inspections, relying instead on a bilateral safeguards agreement between the two nations, a departure from the "gold standard" set by the 2009 U.S.-UAE nuclear accord.

The agreement faces significant scrutiny over nuclear proliferation risks and the leverage lost for Israeli-Saudi normalization. Critics, including non-proliferation advocates and some lawmakers, warn that allowing Saudi Arabia to develop enrichment capabilities could enable a nuclear weapons program, especially given Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's past statements about matching Iran's capabilities.

Furthermore, experts argue that by signing the nuclear deal without first securing Saudi-Israeli normalization, the U.S. has surrendered a major diplomatic lever, as Saudi Arabia has historically demanded a clear path to Palestinian statehood before recognizing Israel. And critics note that the deal undermines U.S. demands of Iran to give up Uranium enrichment.

The deal must now undergo a mandatory 90-day review period by the U.S. Congress under a 1954 law, before it can enter into force.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office welcomed the potential for Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords as a "historic leap forward," though officials in Jerusalem are reportedly furious over the deal.

The Jewish nation has a stockpile of ~90 assembled warheads (mostly plutonium-based); enough plutonium for potentially 100–200 weapons total, though the actual deployed/assembled number is limited by delivery systems and other factors. Delivery systemss are believed to include: gravity bombs for aircraft (like F-15/F-16), Jericho ballistic missiles (land-based) and possibly sea-launched cruise missiles (nuclear triad suspected but not fully confirmed).