D.C. Memo: SpaceX Set to Deploy V3 LEOs in New Starship Test That Wall Street Will Watch with Keen Interest
NextGen LEOs pack a punch: 1 Tbps of downlink and 200 Gbps of uplink capacity per satellite or more than 10 times the bandwidth of V2 models, becoming a larger threat to established ISPs nationwide
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LEO: Starship’s next test flight is set for Thursday, July 16, SpaceX said on its X feed over the weekend (July 11). SpaceX said the 90‑minute launch window opens at 5:45 p.m. CT for the vehicle’s 13th flight, which will repeat objectives from the previous test of the Starship and Super Heavy V3 vehicles while carrying next‑generation Starlink V3 satellites. Wall Street will be watching closely as analysts view the V3 hardware as a potential challenge to established Internet providers like AT&T, Comcast and Charter.
“The Starship upper stage’s primary objectives include the deployment of 20 Starlink V3 satellites, a relight of a single Raptor engine while in space, and another controlled entry, descent, and splashdown in the Indian Ocean,” SpaceX said. (More after paywall)
