Cameras mounted on one of SpaceX's next-generation Starlink V3 satellites have delivered a stunning new perspective of the Starship vehicle during its 13th test flight. The biggest and most powerful rocket in history lifted off from South Texas on Friday, July 24, and for the first time deployed a batch of functional internet satellites into space. Six of those Starlink V3 spacecraft carried cameras to capture the heat shield of the upper stage, known as Ship. The resulting footage has been released to the public, as reported by Space.com.
A 65-second video built from four different cameras
SpaceX posted a 65-second video on X on Friday, July 31, which merges imagery from four separate cameras on a single Starlink V3 satellite. The footage begins with a close-up of the shiny 171-foot-tall (52 meters) Ship. As the gap between the two spacecraft widens, more of the vehicle becomes visible. Near the end, Ship appears in full, with three of its six Raptor engines firing and small puffs of white vapor from its reaction control thrusters.
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Flight 13 accomplished its key objectives
Like previous Starship test missions, Flight 13 followed a suborbital trajectory. The 20 Starlink V3 satellites, the first of their kind to reach space, spent only about 20 minutes in orbit before returning to Earth. They still managed to perform their main task, which was to scan Ship's heat shield and transmit the imagery to engineers on the ground.
A future constellation of 100,000 satellites
A filing with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission reveals SpaceX's intention to operate a megaconstellation of 100,000 Starlink V3 satellites. The company currently runs a fleet of nearly 11,000 Starlink satellites, but those V2 units are considerably smaller than the 4,400-pound V3 version. Building and maintaining such an extensive network will require many launches of the fully reusable Starship.
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Ship splashes down in the Indian Ocean
On Flight 13, Ship completed all primary goals, including relighting one of its Raptor engines in space. About 65 minutes after liftoff, it splashed down on target in the Indian Ocean off Western Australia, surviving the intense heat of reentry. SpaceX later shared a photo of the vehicle still afloat five days after splashdown, demonstrating its structural integrity.
Super Heavy booster faces technical challenges
The first stage, known as Super Heavy, encountered some issues during its landing attempt. Only five of the 13 planned Raptor engines ignited for the landing burn, and the booster hit the Gulf of Mexico at a higher speed than expected. These findings will be analyzed to improve future flights.
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Artemis missions depend on Starship
Starship remains in development, but operational use is approaching fast. NASA plans to use the vehicle for the Artemis III crewed mission to low Earth orbit in mid-2027, followed by a landing near the lunar south pole on Artemis IV in late 2028. The timeline is ambitious and hinges on continued successful tests.
While companies like Samsung focus on foldable smartphones such as the Galaxy Z series, SpaceX is pushing aerospace engineering forward with a fully reusable megarocket. The next Starship flights are likely to provide even more spectacular views, especially with the help of Starlink V3 satellites watching from orbit.
