No. 4 · 40 stories · 6 sources
Launches, missions and the business of orbit
Sunday 19 July 2026
This week’s most consequential developments
SpaceX will attempt to launch Starship Flight 13 on July 20, deploying V3 Starlink satellites for the first time.
Why it matters The test represents significant progress toward making Starship operational for regular satellite launches and future missions.
NASA has opened media accreditation for launches of the Roman Space Telescope and Crew-13 in August and beyond.
Why it matters Both missions mark important advances in NASA's space telescope capabilities and crew rotation programmes.
SpaceX's Starship Flight 13 will launch on July 20, carrying first-generation V3 Starlink satellites.
Why it matters The mission tests booster recovery and upgraded systems essential for routine operational flights.
SpaceX launched Starlink satellites on two Falcon 9 rockets in July 2026, the second using a 600th-flight booster.
Why it matters Routine reuse of flight-proven boosters demonstrates the economic benefits of SpaceX's reusable rocket programme.
Starship Flight 13 will deploy V3 Starlinks while testing booster recovery and upgraded flight systems.
Why it matters Success moves SpaceX closer to achieving frequent, routine Starship operational flights.
NASA plans a 2027 uncrewed test of lunar lander docking procedures ahead of 2028 crewed landings.
Why it matters Validates technology for crewed Moon return; any failure delays US lunar programme significantly.
NASA is preparing for Artemis III, a crewed moon landing mission scheduled for 2027 on the SLS rocket.
Why it matters Mission preparations including hardware assembly and control room simulations advance NASA's goal of returning humans to the lunar surface.
Seven launches are scheduled worldwide this week, including SpaceX's Starship Flight 13 test and a Soyuz crew mission.
Why it matters The week demonstrates continued global activity in space launch operations and International Space Station crew rotations.
NASA has begun assembling solid rocket booster segments for the 2027 Artemis III crewed moon mission.
Why it matters Hardware integration is progressing on schedule for the upcoming crewed lunar landing attempt.
The Artemis II crew met with ESA's European Service Module team, which provides critical systems for lunar missions.
Why it matters Collaboration between NASA and ESA ensures proper integration of European components for crewed moon flights.
SpaceX aborted Starship Flight 13 at the last second on July 16 due to engine ignition failures.
Why it matters The abort delayed testing of V3 Starlink deployment and booster recovery systems by several days.
SpaceX has stacked the two stages of Starship ahead of the rescheduled Flight 13 launch on July 20.
Why it matters Rocket assembly completion indicates readiness for the delayed test flight and its Starlink satellite deployment mission.
SpaceX aborted Starship Flight 13 on July 16 after several engines failed to ignite during launch countdown.
Why it matters Engine ignition issues require investigation before SpaceX can safely retry the critical Starlink deployment test.
SpaceX launched 21 satellites for a military constellation, bringing the Space Development Agency halfway through its planned first tranche.
Why it matters The US military's communications network in orbit affects national security and strategic capability.
The four Artemis II astronauts visited ESA's Netherlands facility to meet the team behind the European Service Module used in their mission.
Why it matters International cooperation on lunar exploration remains central to Artemis programme success and schedule.
Also moving, worth a read
NASA's Psyche spacecraft photographed Mars's crescent shape during its approach for a gravity assist between May 2 and 15.
During its May 15 Mars flyby, NASA's Psyche mission captured enhanced-colour images of the Martian surface using its multispectral imager.
A Soyuz rocket carrying ISS astronauts featured advertising for an energy drink, continuing Russia's practice of commercial space branding.
SpaceX's Starlink satellites performed over 355,000 collision avoidance maneuvers in the past year, with each satellite dodging objects almost weekly.
NASA and Draper have terminated their lunar lander programme following significant development delays.
Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1 rocket successfully completed its debut launch, making India the third nation with private orbital launch capability.
Mauritius has become the 70th signatory to the Artemis Accords and the seventh African nation to join the responsible space exploration agreement.
NASA astronaut Anil Menon and two Russian cosmonauts launched to the International Space Station and docked three hours later.
SpinLaunch's CEO discussed reimagining spacecraft launch methods and adapting infrastructure for the evolving space economy.
Two Earth observation satellites, FLEX and Sentinel-3C, have arrived at Europe's Spaceport ahead of September launch.
SpaceX's Starship Flight 13 experienced a booster ignition abort during launch attempt on 16 July.
A Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft launched a new crew to the International Space Station from Baikonur on 14 July.
NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has arrived at Kennedy Space Center for prelaunch servicing.
Podcast episode 219 discusses recent space industry developments including SpaceX-related topics.
Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1 rocket successfully reached orbit on its maiden flight, becoming India's first commercial orbital rocket.
NASA established a working group in April 2026 to review venous thromboembolism risk data among astronauts.
SpaceX's IPO has elevated the company's space ambitions to mainstream capital markets attention.
The FCC approved the first test launch of Reflect Orbital's Eärendil-1 satellite, designed to reflect sunlight to Earth on demand.
New Horizons imagery reveals evidence of large landslides on Pluto's steep crater walls.
SpaceX launched 21 satellites for the U.S. military's new Tranche 1 Transport Layer constellation from California.
A portable X-ray device has been successfully used in orbit for the first time, with medical applications for astronauts.
Weak signals worth a glance