SpaceX is preparing for the 13th test flight of its Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy booster, with a launch window opening at 5:45 pm CDT on Thursday. The hour-long mission will largely follow the trajectory of the previous flight in May, but includes a critical new element: the deployment of 20 functioning Starlink Version 3 satellites. These satellites, installed in Starship's cargo bay using a pulley-and-cable deployer, will be ejected one at a time through a side opening. Unlike previous tests that used simulators, this flight will validate the deployment mechanism and attempt to establish laser communication links between the Starlink V3s and other spacecraft in low-Earth orbit.