SpaceX reveals Starship Flight 13 launch date

Key Points:

• SpaceX is targeting July 16 for the 13th integrated Starship flight test, featuring new Starship and Super Heavy V3 vehicles with Raptor 3 engines, aiming to demonstrate stage separation, engine performance, and controlled reentry.
• Flight 13 will deploy 20 next-generation Starlink V3 satellites with advanced laser links and cameras to capture heat shield imagery, alongside testing upgraded heat shield tiles and attempting an upper stage engine relight before splashdown.
• Tesla is advancing its Robotaxi program with a new cleaning robot confirmed by a Texas permit, designed to autonomously clean Cybercab interiors quickly between rides to maximize fleet utilization without human intervention.
• Tesla has dismantled the Fremont Factory’s Model S and X assembly line to make way for high-volume production of the Optimus humanoid robot, targeting tens of thousands of units by the end of 2026 and potentially millions in the future.
• Elon Musk publicly reversed his earlier skepticism about AI company Anthropic, praising its leadership and model quality while emphasizing ethical competition and infrastructure sharing through his ventures like Tesla and SpaceX.