What's riding on SpaceX Starship test-flight: Nasa's Artemis, direct-to-mobile Starlink and a $15 billion bet

SpaceX's Starship 13th test flight carries the first real Starlink payload, impacting direct-to-mobile service.

The flight is critical for Nasa's Artemis program, which targets a 2028 moon landing using Starship.

Starship stands 124 meters tall and is the largest rocket ever built, with a designed payload of 100 tonnes to orbit.

The rocket is fully reusable, with both booster and upper stage intended to return to Earth intact.

SpaceX has spent over $15 billion developing Starship, as disclosed before its June 2026 IPO.