OpenAI clears GPT-5.6 Sol, Terra, and Luna for public release on 2026-07-09

Category: AI
Status: developing
Sources: OpenAI preview, Engadget, HN discussion
Summary: OpenAI said the GPT-5.6 model family will become publicly available on 2026-07-09 after the US Department of Commerce Center for AI Standards and Innovation completed additional testing, lifting the staggered-release restriction that had limited the models to about 20 partner organizations. The family has three tiers. Reporting states Sol, the flagship, is priced at $5 per million input tokens and $30 per million output tokens, Terra at $2.50 and $15, and Luna, the fastest and cheapest, at $1 and $6. Preview access is now open globally through the API and Codex, with consumer access in ChatGPT stated to follow general API availability.
Why it matters: A frontier model family moving from government-gated preview to general availability changes coding-agent and API options for teams, and the reported per-tier pricing sets a direct comparison point against current models.
Follow-up: Confirm the 2026-07-09 general availability lands on the stated surfaces, the final pricing, and when ChatGPT consumer access opens.