SpaceX Targets Starship Test With Starlink Satellites and First Upper-Stage Landing

SpaceX is preparing for another major milestone in the development of its Starship launch system, with the next test flight expected as early as this month. The mission is set to combine two significant objectives by deploying the first upgraded Starlink satellites into orbit while attempting to return the Starship upper stage to land for the first time. If successful, the flight would mark another step towards SpaceX’s ambition of operating a fully reusable orbital rocket.

Chief Executive Elon Musk outlined the plans during the company’s first earnings call on Tuesday, saying the timing of the mission depends on regulatory approval.

Ambitious Goals for the Next Starship Flight

The 14th Starship test flight is expected to represent a significant advance over the previous mission in July. During that flight, the upper stage demonstrated improved landing capabilities before descending into the Indian Ocean.

Musk had previously indicated that SpaceX could attempt an upper-stage recovery this year, depending on the outcome of the 13th test flight. Following that mission, the company has been working to recover the upper-stage rocket from the ocean for inspection.

According to Musk, the next launch is tentatively planned for the end of the month, subject to regulatory clearance.

“Assuming we receive regulatory approval to do so, we’ll attempt to catch the ship with the tower on the next flight,” he said, adding that he expects the pace of Starship launches to increase rapidly.

First Attempt to Catch the Upper Stage

The planned landing would involve catching Starship’s upper stage using the giant mechanical arms attached to the launch tower at SpaceX’s Texas facility.

The company has already demonstrated this technique with the Super Heavy booster, successfully recovering it three times, most recently in March 2025.

Under the current flight plan, the Super Heavy booster would splash down in the Gulf of Mexico if the upper-stage catch is attempted. In the future, however, Musk wants both stages to be recovered by the launch tower. The booster would be caught first and moved aside before the tower captures the upper stage roughly 90 minutes later after it completes a full orbit of Earth.

Musk also projected a dramatic increase in launch activity, saying SpaceX could conduct at least one Starship flight every day within a year.

First Deployment of V3 Starlink Satellites

The upcoming mission will also carry the first batch of V3 Starlink satellites into orbit.

According to Musk, the upgraded satellites are expected to provide ten times the broadband capacity and data density of the current Starlink generations.

SpaceX ultimately plans to launch up to 60 V3 Starlink satellites on a single Starship mission. The company expects Starship to become the primary vehicle for deploying large numbers of satellites as it expands its global broadband network.

Starship Central to SpaceX Growth

Reusable recovery of both Starship stages remains central to SpaceX’s long-term strategy. The company aims to build the world’s first fully reusable orbital launch system, reducing launch costs while supporting rapid deployment of Starlink satellites.

The rocket is also of significant interest to NASA, which plans to use a version of Starship as a lunar lander for future Moon missions.

As Starlink revenue continues to outpace SpaceX’s other businesses, launches carrying the company’s own satellites have become an increasingly large share of its overall launch activity. The trend reflects the growing importance of Starlink to SpaceX’s commercial strategy while demand for access to space continues to rise.

With inputs from Reuters