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 Starship ignition during launch on its fifth flight | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Function | Super heavy-lift launch vehicle | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Country of origin |
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| Project cost | At least US$5 billion[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cost per launch | $100 million (expendable)[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Size | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height |
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| Diameter | 9 m (30 ft) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mass | 5,000 t (11,000,000 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stages | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Capacity | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Payload toLEO | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mass | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Volume | 614 m3 (21,700 cu ft)[6] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Associated rockets | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Comparable | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Launch history | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Status | In Development | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Launch sites |
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| Total launches | 11
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| Success(es) | 6
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| Failures | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First flight | April 20, 2023; 2 years ago (2023-04-20) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last flight | October 13, 2025; 41 days ago (2025-10-13) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Starship is atwo-stage,fully reusable,super heavy-lift launch vehicle under development by American aerospace companySpaceX. Currently built and launched fromStarbase in Texas, it is intended as the successor to the company'sFalcon 9 andFalcon Heavy rockets,[10] and is part of SpaceX's broaderreusable launch system development program. If completed as designed, Starship would be the first fully reusable orbital rocket and have the highest payload capacity of any launch vehicle to date. As of October 13, 2025, Starshiphas launched 11 times, with 6 successful flights and 5 failures.
The vehicle consists of two stages: theSuper Heavy booster and theStarship spacecraft, both powered byRaptor engines burningliquid methane (the main component ofnatural gas) andliquid oxygen. Both stages are intended to return to the launch site andland vertically at the launch tower for potential reuse.[11] Once in space, the Starship upper stage is intended to function as a standalone spacecraft capable of carryingcrew andcargo.[12] Missions beyondlow Earth orbit would require multiple in-orbitrefueling flights. At the end of its mission, Starshipreenters the atmosphere usingheat shield tiles similar to those of theSpace Shuttle.[13] SpaceX states that its goal is to reduce launch costs by both reusing andmass producing both stages.
SpaceX has proposed a wide range of missions for Starship, such as deploying large satellites,space station modules,[14] andspace telescopes.[15][16] A crewed variant, developed under contract withNASA, is called theStarship Human Landing System, which is scheduled to deliver astronauts to the Moon as partArtemis program, beginning withArtemis III currently scheduled for 2027.[17] SpaceX has also expressed ambitions to use Starship forcrewed missions to Mars.[18][19][20]
SpaceX begandeveloping concepts for a super heavy-lift reusable launch vehicle as early as 2005, with different names throughout the years. Starship's current design and name were introduced in 2018. Development has followed aniterative and incremental approach, involving a high number of test flights and prototype vehicles. Thefirst launch of a full Starship vehicle occurred on April 20, 2023, and ended with the explosion of the rocket four minutes after liftoff.[21] The program has failed to meet many of its optimistic schedule goals, with its development having had several setbacks, including the failure of the first four Block 2 upper stages in 2025.[20][22]
When stacked and fully fueled, Starship has a mass of approximately 5,300 t (11,700,000 lb),[b] a diameter of 9 m (30 ft)[24] and a height of 121.3 m (398 ft).[25] The rocket has been designed with the goal of being fullyreusable to reduce launch costs;[26] it consists of theSuper Heavybooster and theStarship upper stage[27] which are powered byRaptor and Raptor Vacuum engines.[28]
The bodies of both rocket stages are made fromstainless steel[29] and are manufactured by stacking and welding stainless steel cylinders.[30] These cylinders have a height of 1.83 m (6 ft), and a thickness of 3.97 mm (0.156 in).[30][31]
Domes inside the spacecraft separate the methane and oxygen tanks.[30] SpaceX has stated that Starship, in its "baseline reusable design", will have a payload capacity of 100–150 t (220,000–331,000 lb) tolow Earth orbit and 27 t (60,000 lb) togeostationary transfer orbit.[32]
Super Heavy is 71 m (233 ft) tall, 9 m (30 ft) wide,[33] and is composed of four general sections: the engines, the oxygen tank, the fuel tank, and the interstage.[34]
The two cryogenic propellant tanks on Super Heavy are separated by a common bulkhead, a similar structural design to theS-II andS-IVB stages on theSaturn V rocket.[35] AfterStarship's second flight test, the common dome's design was changed to be more elliptical,[36] altering the propellant capacity of both tanks by a small amount.[36] Each tank possesses roughly 74 stringers for structural reinforcement, attached to their interior walls.[37] The booster's two tanks hold a combined 3,400 t (7,500,000 lb) of propellant:[38] 2,700 t (6,000,000 lb) of liquid oxygen and 700 t (1,500,000 lb) of liquid methane.[c] Fuel is fed to the engines via a single liquid funnel, and channeled into distributionmanifolds of the engines.[35] This system was upgraded on Block 3 boosters, featuring a substantially larger transfer tube connecting the engines and the methane tank.[39] Block 1 and 2 boosters both have a single booster quick disconnect, along with multiple quick disconnects for the outer engines, while Block 3 boosters have two quick disconnects.[40] One disconnect feeds liquid oxygen into the vehicle, the other feeds liquid methane.[40]
The oxygen tank ends at the thrust structure of the vehicle. While the outer twenty engines are mounted to the walls of the aft bay, the inner thirteen are mounted onto the thrust puck, a part of the aft dome.[35] Large steel structures are attached to the bottom of the dome, reinforcing the puck sufficiently to fully support the inner thirteen engines, and at the same time providing pathways for methane and oxygen into the engines.[35] In addition, large filters were added in this region beginning on Booster 10.[41][42] Liquid oxygen is supplied by a header tank during landing burn for the inner thirteen engines.[43] On Booster 15, the header tank had at least nine additional tanks attached, increasing capacity for the landing burn.[42] The added tanks may have been present on Boosters 12, 13, and 14, though this was unconfirmed as of February 2025.[44] Booster 5 was the only 29-engine booster to receive a header tank, mounted to the side of the oxygen tank instead of being integrated with the thrust puck.[43]
The methane funnel is partially contained within the header tank, as the methane sump is directly below it.[43] On Booster 7 and all subsequent vehicles, four aerodynamicchines are located on the outside of the oxygen tank, providing aerodynamic lift during descent,[45] as well as housing batteries,composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs) for spin start,[46] and CO2 tanks forfire suppression.[35][47] On vehicles with hydraulic power units (HPUs), COPVs dedicated to engine ignition, batteries, and communication antennae were located within the HPU cover instead of the chines.[47]
Super Heavy is powered by 33Raptor engines, which on Block 1 and 2 vehicles are housed within a dedicated shielding compartment.[47] This compartment is not present before engine installation, thus boosters are roughly three meters shorter prior to engine installation.[48] The outer 20 engines, arranged in a ring, are fixed in place.[49] To save weight, the 20 engines are started usingground support equipment on the launch mount and cannot be reignited for subsequent burns.[50] The inner thirteen engines are equipped withgimbal actuators and reignite for the boostback and landing burns.[51] AfterStarship's first flight test, this gimbaling system was switched from a hydraulic system to an electric one, enabling the removal of the hydraulic power units.[41] This change was made to the upper stage after thesecond flight test. During the ascent and boostback burns, the engines draw propellant from the main tanks, with the liquid oxygen being drawn from a dedicated header tank during the landing burn.[45] Like the thrust vector control system, the engine shielding, which isolates individual engines in the event of a failure, was upgraded after Starship's first flight test, alongside thefire suppression system.[41] The aft bay has eighteen vents visible on the outside of the booster, which are believed to be connected to the outer 20 engines,[47] while the center engines vent directly below the launch pad.[47]
The Raptor engine uses afull-flow staged combustion cycle with oxygen and methane-rich turbopumps.[52][53] Before 2014, only two full-flow staged-combustion rocket engine designs had advanced enough to undergo testing: the SovietRD-270 project in the 1960s and the Aerojet RocketdyneIntegrated Powerhead Demonstrator in the mid-2000s.[54] To improve performance, the engines burn subcooled propellant; i.e. the propellants are cooled below their respective boiling points to further increase their density and the engine mass flow rates.[38]
The Block 1 version of the booster (used through November 2024) produces a total of 73.5 MN (16,500,000 lbf)[55] just over twice that of theSaturn V first stage,[56] with this total being expected to increase to 80.8 MN (18,200,000 lbf) for Block 3 boosters and later up to 98.1 MN (22,100,000 lbf) with the Block 4 vehicle.[33] The thirty three engines collectively produce largeshock diamonds in the exhaust jet, visible during ascent and descent.[57]
During unpowered flight in the upper atmosphere,control authority is provided bycold gas thrusters fed with residualullage gas.[43] Four perpendicular vents are located within the interstage.[47] Additional vents are located just below the common dome, pointing down toward the engines at a slight angle.[47]
The Block 3 booster contains an updated aft dome, with metallic heat shield tiles mounted upon it.[58]
The interstage is equipped with four electrically actuatedgrid fins made of stainless steel, each with a mass of roughly 3 t (6,600 lb).[34] The fins remain extended during ascent to save weight,[34][59] though this results in mild warping during stage separation.[60] The interstage also has protrudinghardpoints, located between grid fins, allowing the booster to be lifted or caught by the launch tower.[61] The ability to lift a booster from these hardpoints was proven on August 23, 2022, when Booster 7 was lifted onto OLM A.[62] The first catch of a booster occurred on October 13, 2024, using Booster 12.[63]
After thefirst Starship test flight, all boosters have an additional 1.8 m[31] tall vented interstage to enablehot staging.[64] During hot staging, Super Heavy shuts down all but the three center engines,[65][66] while the second stage fires its engines before separating, thus the second stage "pushes off" from the first stage, giving added thrust.[65] The vented interstage contains a dome to shield the top of Super Heavy from the second stage's exhaust.[64][66] Elon Musk in 2023 claimed that this change might result in a 10% increase in the payload tolow Earth orbit.[66] Beginning with Booster 11, the vented interstage is jettisoned after completion of the boostback burn, to reduce mass during descent.[67] As of June 2024, SpaceX does not intend to jettison the interstage when flying Block 2 and Block 3 boosters, as the vented section will be directly integrated into the vehicle.[67]
On Block 3 boosters, the interstage is directly integrated into the methane tank, and the number of grid fins is reduced from four to three, in a 90/90/180 degree arrangement.[40] These grid fins are roughly one and a half times the size of the Block 1 and 2 grid fins,[68] and are positioned lower on the vehicle. According to SpaceX, the repositioning reduces the heat experienced during stage separation. Additionally, the fins are integrated with the catch pins.[69]
The Block 2 version of Starship is 52.1 m (171 ft) tall, 9 m (30 ft) wide,[25] and is composed of four general sections: the engine bay, the oxygen tank, the fuel tank, and the payload bay.[8] The retired Block 1 was constructed in a similar manner, though it was only 50.3 m (165 ft) tall.Elon Musk stated in 2021 that the vehicle has adry mass of roughly 100 t (220,000 lb).[8] The windward side is protected by aheat shield, which is composed of eighteen thousand[70][71] hexagonal black tiles that can withstand temperatures of 1,400 °C (2,600 °F).[72][13] It is designed to protect the vehicle duringatmospheric entry and to be used multiple times with minimal maintenance between flights.[73] Thesilica-based tiles are attached to Starship with pins,[13] and have small gaps in between to allow forheat expansion.[74][8] Afterflight test 4, SpaceX added a secondary ablative layer under the primary heat shield,[75] though this was only added to the flaps of theflight test 6 vehicle.[76] This ablative layer is likely composed of pyron, which is similar in composition tocarbon composites.[77] The total mass of the heat shield and ablative layer of a Block 1 ship is 10.5 t (23,000 lb).[78]
The propellant tanks on Starship are separated by a common bulkhead, similar to the ones used on theS-II andS-IVB stages on theSaturn V rocket.[79] While Block 2 vehicles use an elliptical dome,[80] the common and forward domes of the Block 1 design were more conical.[81] Block 1 vehicles only had 24stringers within the oxygen tank,[82] while Block 2 vehicles had these added to the methane tanks.[80] The vehicle's tanks hold 1,500 t (3,300,000 lb) of propellant,[25] consisting of 1,170 t (2,580,000 lb) of liquid oxygen and 330 t (730,000 lb) of liquid methane.[d]
Fuel is fed to the engines via four downcomers, with three smaller downcomers feeding theVacuum Raptors/RVacs and the central downcomer feeding the inner three engines.[80] The central downcomer connects to a large sump, instead of directly to the methane tank itself.[83] The original design only featured a single downcomer.[84] The LOX downcomer extends into the LOX tank, with a small expanded portion of unknown purpose.[85] Two additional downcomers route methane and oxygen from the header tanks.[86] A camera is located on the walls of the tank, pointed towards the payload bay.[87]
The oxygen tank terminates with the thrust structure of the vehicle.[81] The RVacs are mounted directly to the aft dome, which has reinforcements mounted inside of the tank.[81] The three sea level engines are mounted on the thrust puck, which forms the bottom of the aft dome.[88] A conical steel structure is mounted inside the bottom of the dome, reinforcing the thrust puck enough to enable its support of the inner three engines.[89] The propellant lines on the vehicles are allvacuum jacketed, reducing boiloff while in orbit.[90][84]
Starship is powered by sixRaptor engines, which are housed within a dedicated shielding compartment.[91] Blocks 1 through 3 feature three sea-level engines, as well as three engines optimized for operation in the vacuum of space, called RVacs.[92] Block 4 ships are expected to feature three additional RVacs.[92] The sea-level engines are equipped withgimbal actuators, and reignite for the landing burns.[77] AfterStarship's second flight test, this gimbaling system was switched from a hydraulic system to an electric one, enabling the removal of the hydraulic power units.[93] This change was made to the booster after thefirst flight test.[93] There are four engine chill lines onboard the vehicle, though two of these lines may serve another purpose.[94]
Each engine is protected by a dedicated shielding compartment.[94] Beginning with S25, the Block 1 design had between 14 and 16 such vents.[94] Additional vents were added after flight 7.[95] Thefire suppression system, which uses gaseous nitrogen to purge the engine bay during flight, was upgraded after flight 7.[96] A similar system on the booster uses carbon dioxide to purge the individual engine compartments during flight and static fires.[93]
The Raptor engine uses afull-flow staged combustion cycle, which has both oxygen and methane-rich turbopumps.[97][98] Before 2014, only two full-flow staged-combustion rocket engine designs had advanced enough to undergo testing: the SovietRD-270 project in the 1960s and the Aerojet RocketdyneIntegrated Powerhead Demonstrator in the mid-2000s.[99] To improve performance, the engines burn supercooled propellant.[100]
The Block 1 version of the ship (used through November 2024) produces a total of 12.25 MN (2,750,000 lbf)[25] almost triple the thrust of theSaturn V second stage, with this being expected to increase to 15.69 MN (3,530,000 lbf) for Block 2 boosters and later up to 26.48 MN (5,950,000 lbf) with the Block 3 vehicle.[25]
During unpowered flight in orbit,control authority is provided bycold gas thrusters fed with residualullage gas.[81] Four such thrusters are located just below the payload bay,[101] and two on the oxygen tank.[102] Near the top of the nosecone, there are two vents connected to the header tanks.[102] Additional vents were added at the base of the vehicle after flight two.[103]
The payload bay hosts the nosecone, header tanks, forward flaps, multiple COPVs, and the "PEZ dispenser".[104] The header tanks are mounted at the tip of the payload bay.[81] The LOX header tank forms the top of the nosecone, with the methane header tank attached directly below it.[105] These tanks terminate in a conical sump, which are attached to the downcomers.[106] Several COPVs are mounted in the space around the methane header tank, providing the startup gas for the engines,[104] with twelve additional COPVs within the base of the payload bay.[107]
The nosecone has substantial internal reinforcement, mainly around the forward flap attachment points and lifting points for the chopsticks.[104] The number of internal stringers was increased between Block 1 and Block 2 vehicles.[108] Additional reinforcements are used to support the PEZ dispenser on ships equipped with one.[108] Four Starlink antennas are located within the nosecone.[109]
The PEZ dispenser is used to deploy Starlink satellites into LEO.[81] It was first added to S24, though it was permanently sealed untilflight 3. It consists of the dispenser mechanism and the door.[81] The door opens by folding into the payload bay.[110]
The dispenser itself is mounted directly to the forward dome.[111] It has a truss structure for its base, with solid steel used elsewhere.[111] A mobile track is used in the base, enabling the dispenser to push the satellite out of the vehicle.[111] After dispensing a satellite, the next payload is lowered onto the base, and is deployed.[111] The opposite occurs during loading, with the dispenser raising its payloads to receive another satellite.[111] In order to prevent the satellite from floating out of the mechanism during zero-g operations, the dispenser locks the satellites in position using a "retention frame". This is lowered alongside the satellites during operation.[111]
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Starship controls its reentry with four flaps, two aft flaps mounted to the sides of the engine bay and LOX tank and two forward flaps on the payload bay.[112] Substantial reinforcements are present in the nosecone for the support of the forward flaps.[80] According to SpaceX, the flaps replace the need for wings ortailplane, reduce the fuel needed for landing, and allow landing at destinations in the Solar System where runways do not exist (for example, Mars). The flap's hinges are sealed inaerocovers because they would otherwise be easily damaged during reentry.[8] Static wicks are present on the flaps, aiding in the discharge of static electricity.[109]
Despite this, damage to the forward flaps was observed on flightsfour,[112]five,[77] andsix,[113] with near complete loss occurring on flight 4.[114] Beginning with Block 2, the design of these forward flaps was significantly changed, moving leeward and becoming thinner and angled.[87] This sets them at an approximately 140-degree angle, compared to the 180-degree angle of the aft flaps and previous version of the forward flaps.[84] This change was made to prevent the static aero from creating a tendency for the Ship to pitch up, even when the forward flaps were stowed,[115] and also reduces the heating on the static aero and forward flaps observed on the last three flights of the Block 1 ship.[116] Both sets of flaps feature cameras in their hinges.[87]
Raptor is a family of rocket engines developed by SpaceX for use inStarship andSuper Heavy vehicles. It burnsliquid oxygen andmethane in an efficient and complexfull-flow staged combustion power cycle. The Raptor engine uses methane as fuel rather than kerosene because methane gives higher performance and prevents the build-up of deposits in the engine fromcoking.[117][118] Methane can also be produced from carbon dioxide and water using theSabatier reaction.[119] The engines are designed to be reused many times with little maintenance.[120]
Raptor operates with anoxygen-to-methane mixture ratio of about3.6:1, lower than thestoichiometric mixture ratio of4:1 necessary for complete combustion, since operating at higher temperatures would melt the engine.[8] The propellants leave thepre-burners and get injected into the main combustion chamber as hot gases instead of liquid droplets, enabling a higher power density as the propellants mix rapidly viadiffusion.[117] The methane and oxygen are at high enough temperatures and pressures that theyignite on contact, eliminating the need for igniters in the main combustion chamber.[121] The engine structure itself is mostly aluminum, copper, and steel; oxidizer-side turbopumps and manifolds subject to corrosive oxygen-rich flames are made of anInconel-likeSX500 superalloy.[121] Some components are3D printed.[122]
A Raptor 2 engine produces 2.3 MN (520,000 lbf) at aspecific impulse of 327 seconds (3.21 km/s) atsea level and 350 seconds (3.4 km/s) in a vacuum.[121]Raptor vacuum, used on the Starship upper stage, is modified with a regeneratively coolednozzle extension made of brazed steel tubes, increasing its expansion ratio to about 90 and its specific impulse in vacuum to 380 seconds (3.7 km/s).[8] The maincombustion chamber operates at a pressure of 350 bar (5,100 psi) exceeding that of any prior operational rocket engine.[117] The Raptor'sgimbaling range is 15°, higher than theRS-25's 12.5° and the Merlin's 5°. SpaceX has stated they aim to achieve a per unit production cost of US$250,000 upon starting mass production.[121]
| Block | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payload to orbit (t) | 15 | 35 | 100 | 200 |
| Booster propellant (t) | 3,250 | 3,650 | 4,050 | |
| Ship propellant (t) | 1,200 | 1,500 | 1,600 | 2300 |
| Booster liftoff thrust (tf) | 7,500[7] | 8,240 | 10,000 | |
| Ship initial thrust (tf) | 1,250 | 1400 | 1,600 | 2,700 |
| Ship sea-level engines | 3 | |||
| Ship vacuum engines | 3 | 6 | ||
| Booster height (m) | 71 | 72.3 | 81 | |
| Ship height (m) | 50.3 | 52.1 | 61 | |
| Total height (m) | 121.3 | 123.3 | 124.4 | 142 |
On April 4, 2024,Elon Musk provided an update on Starship atStarbase, where two new versions of Starship were announced, Block 2 and Block 3,[125] intended to address the shortcomings of the pre-production prototypes.
Block 1 vehicles were used for the first sixflight tests and then retired.[126]
Block 2 for both stages was used beginning withflight test 7 at the start of 2025.[127] Block 2 upper stage vehicles feature a thinner forward flap design, flaps that are positioned more leeward, a 25% increase in propellant capacity, integrated vented interstage, redesigned avionics,[128] two raceways,[129] and an increase in thrust.[130] The integrated vehicle is 3.1 m (10 ft) taller than the previous Block 1 vehicle and was planned to have a payload capacity of at least 100 tons to orbit when reused[130] (similar to the original design before the Block 2 rework), but was retired before an orbital flight, with the final estimate of 35t of payload to orbit. Additionally, Block 2 vehicles were planned to useRaptor 3 engines, removing the need for secondary engine shielding.[131] However, the first Block 2 vehicle, S33, received upgraded Raptor 2 engines,[132] with an unknown increase in thrust.[133] The Block 2 ship and booster first flew on theseventh flight test.[134] Atotal of four block 2 vehicles were produced.[135] After Starship Flight 11, the Block 2 ships are now retired.
Block 3 ships feature a different tile design,[136] Raptor 3 engines,[137] as well as hardware for refueling operations in low Earth orbit (LEO), such as docking ports and a redesigned quick disconnect.[137] The switch to Raptor 3 also enables the removal of most of the aft section's shielding.[137]
Block 3 boosters have an integrated vented interstage/forward dome, three grid fins instead of the prior four, as well as the use of the grid fins as catch points.[138][40] Like with the ship, the Block 3 boosters use Raptor 3 engines, allowing for the removal of the majority of the booster's engine shielding.[40]
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Payloads will be integrated into Starship at a separate facility and then rolled out to thelaunch site.[139]Super Heavy andStarship are then to be stacked onto their launch mount and loaded with fuel via the ship quick disconnect (SQD) arm and booster quick disconnect (BQD).[140] The SQD and BQD retract, all 33 engines of Super Heavy ignite, and the rocket lifts off.[140]
At approximately 159 seconds after launch[141] at an altitude of roughly 64 km (40 mi), Super Heavy cuts off all but three of its centergimbaling rocket engines.[142]: 58 Starship then ignites its engines while still attached to the booster, and separates.[65] During hot-staging, the booster throttles down its engines.[65] The booster then rotates, before igniting ten additional engines for a "boostback burn"[143] which stops all forward velocity. After the boostback burn, the booster's engines shut off with Super Heavy on a trajectory for a controlled descent to the launch site using its grid fins for minor course corrections. Roughly six minutes after launch, shortly before landing,[144] it ignites its inner 13 engines, then shuts off all but the inner 3,[145] to perform alanding burn which slows it sufficiently to be caught by a pair ofhydraulic actuating arms attached to the launch tower.[11][146] The booster landing and catch was successfully demonstrated for the first time on October 13, 2024, with the landing of Booster 12.[147][148]
Meanwhile, the Starship spacecraft continues accelerating to orbital velocity with its six Raptor engines.[149] Once in orbit, the spacecraft is planned to be able to be refueled by another Starship tanker variant.[150] Musk has estimated that 8 launches would be needed to refuel a Starship in low Earth orbit completely.[151] NASA has estimated that 16 launches in short succession (due to cryogenic propellant boil-off) would be needed to refuel Starship for one lunar landing partially.[152] To land on bodies without an atmosphere, such as the Moon, Starship will fire its engines to slow down.[153] To land on bodies with an atmosphere, such as the Earth and Mars, Starship first slows by entering the atmosphere using aheat shield.[26] The spacecraft would then perform a "belly-flop" maneuver by diving through the atmosphere at a 60° angle to the ground,[154] controlling its fall using four flaps at the front and aft of the spacecraft.[155] Shortly before landing, the Raptor engines fire,[155] using fuel from the header tanks,[156] to perform a "landing flip" maneuver to return to a vertical orientation, with the Raptor engines' gimbaling helping to maneuver the craft.[155] The HLS and depot cannot reenter the atmosphere, as they lack athermal protection system, flaps, and other necessary catch hardware.
If Starship's second stage lands on a pad, a mobile hydraulic lift will move it to a transporter vehicle. If it lands on afloating platform, it will be transported by abarge to a port and then transported by road. The recovered Starship will either be positioned on the launch mount for another launch or refurbished at aSpaceX facility.[139]: 22
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In November 2005,[157] before SpaceX had launched its first rocket theFalcon 1,[158] CEOElon Musk first mentioned a high-capacity rocket concept able to launch 100 t (220,000 lb) tolow Earth orbit, dubbed theBFR.[157] Later in 2012, Elon Musk first publicly announced plans to develop a rocket surpassing the capabilities of Space X's existingFalcon 9.[159] SpaceX called it theMars Colonial Transporter, as the rocket was to transport humans to Mars and back.[99] In 2016, the descriptor was changed toInterplanetary Transport System, as the rocket was planned to travel beyond Mars as well.[160] The conceptual design called for acarbon fiber structure,[161] a mass in excess of 10,000 t (22,000,000 lb) when fully fueled, a payload of 300 t (660,000 lb) to low Earth orbit while being fully reusable.[161] By 2017, the concept was again re-dubbed theBFR.[162]
In December 2018, the structural material was changed from carbon composites[163][161] to stainless steel,[164][165] marking the transition from early design concepts of the Starship.[164][154][166] Musk cited numerous reasons for the change of material; low cost and ease of manufacture, increased strength of stainless steel atcryogenic temperatures, as well as its ability to withstand high heat.[167][154] In 2019, SpaceX began to refer to the entire vehicle as Starship, with the second stage also being calledStarship, and the boosterSuper Heavy.[168] They also announced that Starship would use reusable heat-shield tiles similar tothose of the Space Shuttle.[169][170] The second-stage design had also settled on six Raptor engines by 2019: threeoptimized for sea-level and threeoptimized for vacuum.[171][172] In 2019, SpaceX announced a change to the second stage's design, reducing the number of aft flaps from three to two to reduce weight.[173] In March 2020 SpaceX released a Starship Users Guide, in which they stated the payload of Starship to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) would be over 100 t (220,000 lb), with a payload to GTO of 21 t (46,000 lb).[32]
The first tests started with the construction of the first prototype in 2018,Starhopper, which performed severalstatic fires and two successful low-altitude flights in 2019.[174] SpaceX began constructing the first full-sizeStarship MK1 andMK2 upper-stage prototypes before 2019, at the SpaceX facilities inBoca Chica,Texas, andCocoa, Florida, respectively.[175] Neither prototype flew: MK1 was destroyed in November 2019 during a pressurestress test and MK2's Florida facility was deconstructed throughout 2020.[176][74] Prototypes were built using301 stainless steel.[177] This was noted for its corrosion resistance and lower cost compared to carbon fiber but faced some challenges, particularly with interlaminar toughness at cryogenic temperatures.
SpaceX then began naming its new Starship upper-stage prototypes with the prefix "SN", short for "serial number".[178] No prototypes betweenSN1 andSN4 flew either—SN1 andSN3 collapsed during pressure stress tests, and SN4 exploded after its fifth engine firing.[179]
In June 2020, SpaceX started constructing a launch pad for orbital Starship flights.[140] The first flight-capable prototype,SN5, wascylindrical as it had no flaps or nose cone: just one Raptor engine, fuel tanks, and amass simulator.[180] On August 5, 2020, SN5 performed a 150 m (500 ft) high flight and successfully landed on a nearby pad.[181] On September 3, 2020, the similar-lookingStarship SN6 repeated the hop;[182] later that month, aRaptor vacuum engine underwent its first full duration firing atMcGregor, Texas.[183]
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Starship SN8 was the first full-sized upper-stage prototype, though it lacked a heat shield.[184] It underwent four preliminary static fire tests between October and November 2020.[179] On December 9, 2020, SN8 flew, slowly turning off its three engines one by one, and reached an altitude of 12.5 km (7.8 mi). After SN8 dove back to the ground, its engines were hampered by low methane header tank pressure during the landing attempt, which led to a hard impact on the landing pad and subsequent explosion of the vehicle.[155] SN7 used304L stainless steel, which is less brittle and more weldable.[185] Later vehicles used a proprietary alloy, 30X, whose composition is proprietary that costs slightly over €3.6/kg.[186]
Because SpaceX had violated itslaunch license and ignored warnings of worseningshock wave damage, theFederal Aviation Administration investigated the incident for two months.[187] During the SN8 launch, SpaceX ignored FAA warnings that the flight profile posed a risk of explosion.[187][188][189] FAA space division chiefWayne Monteith said SpaceX's violation was "inconsistent with a strong safety culture", and criticized the company for proceeding with the launch "based on 'impressions' and 'assumptions,' rather than procedural checks and positive affirmations".[187]
On February 2, 2021,Starship SN9 launched to 10 km (6.2 mi) in a flight path similar to SN8. The prototype crashed upon landing because one engine did not ignite properly.[190] A month later, on March 3,Starship SN10 launched on the same flight path as SN9.[191] The vehicle landed hard and crushed its landing legs, leaning to one side.[192] A fire was seen at the vehicle's base and it exploded less than ten minutes later,[193] potentially due to a propellant tank rupture.[192] On March 30,Starship SN11 flew into thick fog along the same flight path.[194] The vehicle exploded during descent,[194] possibly due to excess propellant in a Raptor's methane turbopump.[195]
In March 2021, the company disclosed a public construction plan for twosub-orbital launch pads, two orbital launch pads, two landing pads, two test stands, and a large propellant tank farm.[196] The company soon proposed developing the surroundingBoca Chica Village, Texas, into acompany town namedStarbase.[196] Locals raised concerns about SpaceX's authority, power, and a potential threat for eviction througheminent domain.[197] In 2025, it wasincorporated asStarbase, Texas.[198]
In early April, the orbital launch pad's fuel storage tanks began mounting.[140] SN12 through SN14 were scrapped before completion;SN15 was selected to fly instead,[199] due to improvedavionics, structure, and engines.[193] On May 5, 2021, SN15 launched, completed the same maneuvers as older prototypes, and landed safely.[199] SN15 had a fire in the engine area after landing but it was extinguished.[193] According to a later report by SpaceX, SN15 experienced several issues while landing, including the loss of tank pressure and an engine.[4]: 2
In June 2022, theFederal Aviation Administration determined that SpaceX must address more than 75 issues identified in the preliminary environmental assessment before flight tests could start.[200]
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In July 2022,Booster 7 tested the liquid oxygenturbopumps on all 33 Raptor engines, resulting in an explosion at the vehicle's base, which destroyed a pressure pipe and caused minor damage to the launchpad.[201] By the end of November, Ship 24 had performed 2 static test fires,[202]: 20 while Booster 7 had performed 6 static test fires[203][202]: 20 and finally on February 9, 2023, a static fire with 31 engines at 50% throttle.[204] In January 2023, the whole Starship stack underwent a fullwet dress rehearsal.[205]
After a launch attempt aborted on April 17, 2023,[206]Booster 7 andShip 24 lifted off on April 20 at 13:33 UTC in the first orbital flight test.[207] Three engines were disabled during the launch sequence and several more failed during the flight.[208] The booster later lostthrust vectoring control of the Raptor engines, which led to the rocket spinning out of control.[208] The vehicle reached a maximum altitude of 24 mi (39 km).[209] Approximately 3 minutes after lift-off the rocket'sautonomous flight termination system was activated, though the vehicle tumbled for another 40 seconds before disintegrating.[210][211] The first flight test blasted large amounts of sand and soil in the air, reaching communities within a 10.7 km (6.6 mi) radius.[212][213][214] A brushfire on nearby state parkland also occurred, burning 3.5 acres of state parkland.[215]
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After the first test flight, SpaceX began work on the launch mount to repair the damage it sustained during the test and to prevent future issues. The foundation of the launch tower was reinforced and a water-poweredflame deflector was built under the launch mount.[216]Ship 25 andBooster 9 were rolled to the suborbital and orbital launch sites in May to undergo multiple tests.[217][218]
On November 18, 2023, Booster 9 and Ship 25 lifted off the pad.[219] All 33 engines continued to function until staging, where the second stage separated by pushing itself away from the first stage using ahot-staging technique.[143] Following separation, the Super Heavy booster completed its flip maneuver and initiated the boostback burn, but then experienced multiple successive engine failures and exploded.[220][221] Blockage in a liquid oxygen filter caused one of the engines to fail in a way that resulted in the destruction of the booster, which occurred three and a half minutes into the flight at an altitude of ~90 km over the Gulf of Mexico.[222]
The second stage continued until it reached an altitude of ~149 kilometres (93 mi), after over eight minutes of flight; before engine cutoff, telemetry was lost on the second stage.[143] SpaceX said that a safe command based on flight performance data triggered the flight termination system and destroyed the second stage,[143] before achieving its planned orbit or attempting re-entry.[223] It appeared to re-enter a few hundred miles north of theVirgin Islands, according toNOAA weather radar data.[224]
Following the second flight test (which saw the loss of both stages), significant changes were implemented, including upgrading Starship's thrust vector control system to electricthrust vector control (TVC)[225] and measures to delayliquid oxygen (LOX)[225] venting until after Starship engine cutoff (SECO) has taken place.
Flight 3 launched from theSpaceX Starbase facility along theSouth Texas coast around 8:25 a.m. CDT on March 14, 2024, coincidentally the 22nd anniversary of the founding of SpaceX.[226][227] Like flight 2, all 33 engines on the booster ignited and stage separation was successful.[228] B10 conducted aboostback burn, however, the plannedlanding in theGulf of Mexico was not successful, as it exploded at 462 m (1,516 ft) above the surface.[145]
The Starship spacecraft itself, after reaching space and orbital velocity, conducted several tests after engine cutoff, including initiating apropellant transfer demo and payload dispenser test.[229][230] It attempted tore-enter the atmosphere,[231] and at an altitude of around 65 km (40 mi), all telemetry from Ship 28 stopped, indicating a loss of the vehicle.[232] This flight test demonstrated a cryogenic propellant transfer, by transferring propellant from the Ship's header tanks into its main tanks while in space, a technology which is required for Starship HLS to exitLow Earth orbit (LEO). The result of this test was declared successful by NASA and SpaceX. Additional data analysis is occurring on thefluid dynamics such as slosh and boil-off of the propellant.[233][234][235]
The fourth flight test of the full Starship configuration launched on June 6, 2024, at 7:50 a.m. CDT.[236] The goals for the test flight were for the Super Heavy booster to land on a 'virtual tower' in the ocean, and for the Ship to survive peak heating during atmospheric reentry.[237] The flight test was successful in both regards, with Super Heavy achieving a soft splashdown and Ship surviving atmospheric reentry and a controlled splashdown.[238]
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In April 2024, Musk stated one of the goals was to attempt a booster tower landing based on successful booster performance in flight 4. Vehicle testing commenced in May 2024.[239] SpaceX claimed that B12 and S30 were ready to launch in early August, in advance of regulatory approval.[240] SpaceX flew S30 and B12 on October 13, 2024, with B12 returning to the launch site for a successful catch for the first time, and S30 successfully splashing down in the Indian Ocean.[241]
Ship 31 completed a successful cryogenic test in July 2024 and a static fire in September.[242] Booster 13 completed similar tests in April and October.[243] Flight 6 was flown on November 19, 2024, with a water landing of the booster rather than a catch.[244] Flight 6 was the first to successfully conduct a Raptor engine relight in the vacuum of space, paving the way forpayload deployments on future flights.[244] Astuffed toybanana served as the zero-g indicator, becoming Starship's first payload, though it remained within the vehicle for the duration of the flight.[244]Eric Berger claimed that due to the success of the in-space relight, Starship would likely be "cleared to travel into orbit".[245]
Ship 33 completed a successful cryogenic test in October 2024[246] and a static fire in late December.[247] Its counterpart, Booster 14, also underwent cryogenic testing in October.[248] Booster 14 rolled out to OLP-1 and conducted a successful spin prime test and static fire in early December.[249] Flight 7 was flown on January 16, 2025; the mission profile for flight test 7 was expected to be similar to the previous launch, targeting a splashdown in the Indian Ocean after attempting an in-space engine relight. Ship 33 was also expected to deploy ten Starlink "simulators," which were also expected to reenter over the Indian Ocean.[250] Contact with Ship 33 was lost shortly before its engines were scheduled to shut down.[251] Subsequently, Ship 33 was seen exploding as it flew over theTurks and Caicos Islands. The booster successfully returned to the launch site and was caught by the chopsticks on OLP-A.[251] As a result of the explosion, numerous commercial airline flights were diverted or delayed.[252][253]
On March 3, 2025, a launch attempt was aborted after multiple holds atT−40 seconds.[254] Shortly before the scheduled launch at 6:45 p.m. CDT, an issue caused a hold for more than five minutes. The hold was briefly lifted, but a new hold was put in place due to issues connected to the Super Heavy booster.[255] SpaceX called for a cancellation of the launch and set March 6 for the launch.[256] The eighth flight test was later launched on March 6, 2025, at 23:30 hours UTC. The Super Heavy booster was successfully caught by the launch tower. During Ship 34's initial burn, four of its six engines experienced premature shutdowns that resulted in a loss of attitude control followed by a total loss of telemetry. The vehicle's breakup was observed fromFlorida,Jamaica, and theTurks and Caicos Islands.[257] According to SpaceX, communications with the spacecraft ended 9 minutes and 30 seconds after liftoff.[258] The flight was the second of the Block 2 Ship, and attempted to repeat the previous flight's profile.[259] Due to the breakup of the vehicles, the Federal Aviation Administration briefly issued ground stop orders for multiple Florida airports.[260]
Starship'sninth flight test launched on May 27, 2025, with Booster 14, the program's first reused Super Heavy booster.[261] The booster completed its ascent, executed a boost-back and entry burn and re-entered at a higher angle of attack than previous flights, but was lost before its planned splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.[262] Ship 35 reached engine cutoff, yet a propellant leak caused loss of attitude control preventing reignition of a raptor engine and the payload bay door failed to open preventing deployment of the dummy starlink satellites; the vehicle broke up during re-entry.[261]
On June 18, 2025, Ship 36, the Block 2 upper stage slated for the program's tenth flight test, exploded during a planned six-engine static-fire at SpaceX's Massey test stand near Starbase, Texas.[263] Preliminary analysis suggested the failure of a composite-overwrapped pressure vessel (COPV) in the nose section, which ruptured and ignited methane and liquid-oxygen propellants.[264] No personnel were injured, but SpaceX paused further testing to inspect Block 2 pressurization hardware and repair the damaged stand.[265][266]
Starship'stenth flight test was scheduled for August 24, 2025, but was scrubbed shortly before liftoff.[267] After a second aborted attempt on August 25, Flight 10 successfully launched on August 26. The booster completed the ascent, boostback, and landing burns despite losing an engine on ascent, and the ship deployed its payload, eight Starlink simulators. It then completed a relight of a single engine before reentry and successfully splashed down in the Indian Ocean within a few meters of its target.[268]
Starship'seleventh flight test launched on October 13, 2025, mostly repeating the mission profile of the tenth flight, though with a different arrangement of intentionally missing tiles.[269] The second booster to be reused, Booster 15-2 completed its ascent, boostback, and landing burns with a single engine failure during boostback. The failed engine later relit for the landing burn. After SECO, Ship 38 began performing its experiments, deploying eight Starlink simulators and relighting one of its engines before reentering Earth's atmosphere.[269] During reentry, the ship conducted multiple banking maneuvers, including a simulated trajectory which will be used in future missions for ship catch. At approximately T+1:05:54, at an altitude of 1 km and descent speed of338 km/h, the ship relit its three sea-level engines, flipped vertical, and softly splashed down before tipping over and exploding.[269] This was the final launch of the Block 2 configuration of Starship and Super Heavy.
SpaceX develops the Starship primarily withprivate funding.[270][168][1] SpaceX Chief Financial Officer Bret Johnsen disclosed in court that SpaceX has invested more than $3 billion into theStarbase facility and Starship systems from July 2014 to May 2023.[1] Elon Musk stated in April 2023 that SpaceX expected to spend about $2 billion on Starship development in 2023.[271][272] In a 2024 response to a lawsuit, SpaceX stated that the cost of the Starship program was approximately $4 million per day.[273]: 25–26 Adding that any day of delay to the Starship program represented a loss of $100,000.[273]: 25–26
Musk has theorized that a Starship orbital launch might eventually cost SpaceX only $1 million to launch.[274]Eurospace's director of research Pierre Lionnet stated in 2022 that Starship's launch price to customers would likely be higher because of the rocket's development cost.[275] In an update on their website in late October 2025,[276] SpaceX stated regarding Starship that "SpaceX is self-funding representing over 90% of system costs" [sic].[277]
As part of the development of theHuman Landing System for theArtemis program, SpaceX was awarded in April 2021 a $2.89 billion fixed-price contract from NASA to develop theStarship lunar lander forArtemis III.[278][279]Blue Origin, a bidding competitor to SpaceX, disputed the decision andbegan a legal case against NASA and SpaceX in August 2021, causing NASA to suspend the contract for three months until the case was dismissed in theCourt of Federal Claims.[280][281][282] Two years later Blue Origin was awarded a $3.4 billion fixed-price contract forits lunar lander.[283]
In 2022, NASA awarded SpaceX a $1.15 billion fixed-price contract for a second lunar lander forArtemis IV.[279] The same year, SpaceX was awarded a $102 million five-year contract to develop theRocket Cargo program for theUnited States Space Force.[284]
| Flight No. | Date and time (UTC) | Version, booster[e] | Version, ship[e] | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome | Booster landing | Ship landing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 20, 2023 13:33:09[285] | Block 1 B7 | Block 1 S24 | Starbase,OLP‑1 | — | — | Transatmospheric[286] | SpaceX | Failure | Precluded | Precluded |
| For thefirst flight test with a ship integrated with theSuper Heavy booster, the booster was planned to make a powered splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico, and the ship would enter atransatmospheric Earth orbit before reentering and impacting the Pacific Ocean north of Hawaii. Three engines were shut down before the booster lifted off the launch mount, with at least three more engines shutting down during booster powered flight. The vehicle eventually entered an uncontrolled spin before stage separation due to loss ofthrust vector control. Theflight termination system activated with the intent to destroy the vehicle immediately, but the vehicle remained intact until T+3:59, more than 40 seconds after activation of the flight termination system.[287] SpaceX declared this flight a success, as their primary goal was to only clear the pad.[288] The launch resulted in extensive damage to the orbital launch mount and the infrastructures around it, including the propellant tank farm.[289] | |||||||||||
| 2 | November 18, 2023 13:02:50[290] | Block 1 B9 | Block 1 S25 | Starbase,OLP‑1 | — | — | Transatmospheric[291] | SpaceX | Failure | Failure (gulf) | Precluded |
| Thesecond flight test of Starship had a test flight profile similar to the first flight, with the addition of a new hot-staging technique and the introduction of a water deluge system as part of the ground support equipment at the launch pad. During the first stage ascent, all 33 engines fired to full duration. Starship and Super Heavy successfully accomplished ahot-staging separation. After initiating a flip maneuver and initiating boostback burn, several booster engines began shutting down due to filter blockage.[292] An energetic failure of one engine caused the booster to explode.[292] The upper stage ascended nominally for another six minutes.[293] A leak in the aft section developed during a planned liquid oxygen venting, resulting in a combustion event that interrupted communication between the craft’s flight computers, caused a full engine shutdown,[292] after which the flight termination system intentionally destroyed the ship as it reached an altitude of ~148 km and a velocity of ~24,000 km/h.[292] | |||||||||||
| Flight No. | Date and time (UTC) | Version, booster[e] | Version, ship[e] | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome | Booster landing | Ship landing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | March 14, 2024 13:25:00[294] | Block 1 B10 | Block 1 S28 | Starbase,OLP‑1 | — | — | Suborbital[295] | SpaceX | Success | Failure (gulf) | Failure (ocean) |
| Thethird flight test of Starship included a full-duration burn of the second-stage engines, an internal propellant-transfer demonstration, and a test of the Starlink dispenser door. If the test sequence had progressed further, additional tests would have included an in-space relight followed by a hard splashdown of the ship in the Indian Ocean, approximately 1 hour, 4 minutes after launch.[296][297] The booster successfully propelled the spacecraft to staging, with 13 engines ignited for a boostback burn, though 6 engines failed a few seconds before the end of the burn. However, several minutes later, during the landing burn ignition, only three engines ignited, and the booster was destroyed at an altitude of 462 meters above the ocean.[297] The booster malfunctions were attributed to continuing filter blockage issues.[298] The spacecraft trajectory was suborbital, with a 234 km (145 mi) apogee and −50 km (−31 mi) perigee,[299] although the ship reachedorbital speed.[300] A scheduled restart of aRaptor engine for aprograde burn test did not occur, which would have resulted in a 50 km (31 mi) perigee and somewhat laterentry into the atmosphere.[299] At reentry, Ship had an uncontrolled roll. Minutes into atmospheric re-entry, Ship 28's telemetry cut off, leading SpaceX to conclude the ship had disintegrated prior to its planned splashdown. | |||||||||||
| 4 | June 6, 2024 12:50:00[301] | Block 1 B11 | Block 1 S29 | Starbase,OLP‑1 | — | — | Suborbital[302] | SpaceX | Success | Controlled (gulf) | Controlled (ocean) |
| Thefourth flight test of Starship flew a similar trajectory to Flight 3, with the addition of a ship landing burn and soft splashdown. One Raptor engine was lost shortly after liftoff, but the booster performed in accordance to its flight profile and conducted a controlled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico[303] on a "virtual tower", in preparation for a catch by the launch tower during Flight 5.[304] The spacecraft performed a successful reentry despite severe forward flap damage and conducted a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean,[305] within the target region but 6 kilometers from the center.[306] | |||||||||||
| 5 | October 13, 2024 12:25:00[307] | Block 1 B12 | Block 1 S30 | Starbase,OLP‑1 | — | — | Suborbital[308] | SpaceX | Success | Success (OLP-1) | Controlled (ocean) |
| Thefifth flight test was the first to achieve booster recovery and complete a flight without engine failures. After stage separation, the boosterreturned to the launch site and was caught by the launch tower arms despite damage to a chine during descent. Following a coast phase, Ship 30 reentered the atmosphere, performed reentry despite forward flap damage, and executed a landing burn, splashing down precisely at its target in the Indian Ocean, within view of the single buoy-based camera placed there to capture the landing and subsequent planned explosion.[309] | |||||||||||
| 6 | November 19, 2024 22:00:00[310] | Block 1 B13 | Block 1 S31 | Starbase,OLP‑1 | Plush banana | Unknown | Transatmospheric[311] | SpaceX | Success | Controlled (gulf) Abort (OLP‑1) | Controlled (ocean) |
| Thesixth flight test was the second attempt at booster recovery and the final use of a Block 1 upper stage. Heat shield tiles were removed from key areas of Ship 31, which also lacked the ablative backup layer from Flight 5. Following stage separation, the booster was diverted to the ocean near the launch site due to damage to the catch tower during liftoff. The ship completed an in-space engine relight test and re-entered, splashing down in the Indian Ocean during daylight—a first for Starship. Despite a reduced heat shield and steeper re-entry trajectory, Ship 31 sustained minimal flap damage. The flight also carried Starship's first payload, a toy stuffed banana serving as the zero-gravity indicator, which remained onboard throughout the mission.[312] | |||||||||||
In a talk in November 2024, Starbase General ManagerKathy Lueders announced that SpaceX hoped to be able to catch aStarship upper stage sometime in the next 6 months and have as many as 25 launches in 2025.[313] This did not occur. Starship was launched just five times by mid-October, with no planned launches during the remaining months of 2025.
| Flight No. | Date and time (UTC) | Version, booster[e] | Version, ship[e] | Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome | Booster landing | Ship landing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | January 16, 2025 22:37:00[314] | Block 2 B14‑1[315] | Block 2 S33[316] | Starbase,OLP‑1 | 10Starlink simulator satellites[317] | ~20,000 kg (44,000 lb)[318][319] | Transatmospheric[320] | SpaceX | Failure | Success (OLP-1) | Precluded |
| Theseventh flight test of Starship was to follow a trajectory similar to the previous mission, with a planned splashdown in the Indian Ocean approximately one hour post-launch.[321] It marked the inaugural flight of a Block 2 Ship, featuring structural, avionics, and other upgrades.[316] The mission also aimed to test the deployment system for 10Starlink mass simulator satellites. During the Ship's initial burn, its engines experienced premature shutdowns due to a propellant leak larger than the Ship's systems could handle, followed by a total loss of telemetry. This was attributed to a "harmonic response" of a magnitude greater than was seen during testing.[322] The vehicle subsequently exploded over theTurks and Caicos Islands, prompting airspace closures in the region for over an hour.[323] SpaceX later concluded that the autonomous flight safety system destroyed the Ship about three minutes after loss of telemetry, and claimed that none of its remains left the pre-determined safety corridor for the launch.[322] The booster successfully returned to the launch site, where it was caught by the launch tower arms on OLP-1, becoming the second booster recovered after B12, as well as the first booster to be recovered without noticeable damage to the chines.[323] | |||||||||||
| 8 | March 6, 2025 23:31:02[324] | Block 2 B15‑1[321] | Block 2 S34[325] | Starbase,OLP‑1 | 4Starlink simulator satellites[324] | ~8,000 kg (18,000 lb)[324] | Transatmospheric | SpaceX | Failure | Success (OLP-1) | Precluded |
| Theeighth flight test of Starship was to follow a trajectory similar to the previous mission, with a planned splashdown in the Indian Ocean. During the Ship's initial burn, its engines experienced premature shutdowns due to hardware failure on one of the center engines,[326] causing it to spin out of control and eventually lose communications. The booster was successfully commanded to return to the launch site despite having two engines fail to relight for its boostback burn. To compensate, the booster performed a two-second longer boostback burn than seen on the previous flight. One of the failed engines managed to reignite for the catch, which was successful.[324] | |||||||||||
| 9 | May 27, 2025 23:36:28[327] | Block 2 B14-2[328] | Block 2 S35[329] | Starbase,OLP‑1 | 8Starlink simulator satellites[327] | ~16,000 kg (35,000 lb)[327] | Transatmospheric | SpaceX | Failure | Failure (gulf) | Failure (ocean) |
| Theninth flight test of Starship was the first to reuse a Super Heavy booster, which completed ascent and boostback into a high angle of attack but was lost before splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.[330] The ship reached engine cutoff but failed to deploy its payload of eightStarlink simulator satellites[327] and experienced a fuel leak, resulting in a loss of control. The ship waspassivated before reentry and broke up over the Indian Ocean.[330] | |||||||||||
| 10 | August 26, 2025, 23:30:00[331] | Block 2 B16[332] | Block 2 S37[333] | Starbase,OLP‑1 | 8Starlink simulator satellites[331] | ~16,000 kg (35,000 lb)[331] | Transatmospheric | SpaceX | Success | Controlled (gulf) | Controlled (ocean) |
| Flight 10 was originally expected to occur on June 29, 2025;[334] however, the ship originally designated for Flight 10 exploded during testing.[335] The booster ignited all thirty-three engines, though it lost one during the ascent burn. It would continue to complete its mission, splashing down in the Gulf of Mexico after simulating an engine out.[336] The ship reached the desired trajectory and deployed all eight of its Starlink simulators.[336] It then relit a single raptor engine, followed by atmospheric entry.[336] During descent through the atmosphere, there was substantial damage to the engine section.[336] Despite this, S37 was able to softly splash down within three meters of its target site in the Indian Ocean.[336][337] | |||||||||||
| 11 | October 13, 2025, 23:23:00[338] | Block 2 B15‑2[339] | Block 2 S38[339] | Starbase,OLP‑1 | 8 Starlink simulator satellites[340] | ~16,000 kg (35,000 lb)[340] | Transatmospheric | SpaceX | Success | Controlled (gulf) | Controlled (ocean) |
| Flight 11 was the last flight of Block 2 vehicles,[331] as well as the last flight from Pad-1 before its retrofit.[341] It flew a similar profile to the previous two flights,[342] with twenty-four engines flying for a second time on Booster 15.[343] The booster performed nominally during its flight, with the only anomaly being the loss of a raptor on the boostback burn, though it would later reignite on the landing burn.[338] The ship, like on the previous flight, made it to SECO before deploying its eight Starlink simulators.[338] Following this, a single raptor engine was lit in space, with the ship reentering shortly afterwards.[338] Unlike on Flight 10, the ship was mostly undamaged from heat on reentry, despite the intentional removal of several tiles.[338] S38 landed on target in the Indian Ocean, detonating upon tipover.[338] | |||||||||||
Future launches are listed chronologically when firm plans are in place. Launches are expected to take place "no earlier than" (NET) the listed date.
| Date and time (UTC) | Version, booster | Version, ship | Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Customer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NET Q1 2026[344] | Block 3 B19[345] | Block 3 S39[346] | Starbase,OLP‑2[347] | TBA | Transatmospheric | SpaceX |
| Flight 12 was originally expected to use Booster 18; however on November 21, 2025, Booster 18 experienced an anomaly, rendering it unfit for flight.[348] Flight 12 is now expected to use Booster 19, featuring the first use of Block 3 vehicles, as well as being the first launch from Starbase's second launch pad. It will repeat the same flight profile as the previous flights, with the ship slightly short of reaching orbit.[349] | ||||||
| 2026 | Block 3 | Block 3 | Starbase,OLP‑2 | TBA | LEO | SpaceX |
| As of September 2025, Flight 13 is expected to be the first orbital flight of Starship, as well as the first to target a tower catch of the upper stage.[350] Should Flight 12 fail during launch or reentry, this goal may be delayed to a later flight.[351] | ||||||
| 2026 | Block 3 | Block 3 | Starbase | — | LEO | NASA |
| Launch of the Starship target for thepropellant transfer demonstration mission.[352] | ||||||
| 2026 | Block 3 | Block 3 | Starbase | Propellant | LEO | NASA |
| Launch of the Starship chaser for thepropellant transfer demonstration mission. The launch will be 3 to 4 weeks after target Starship launch, using the same launch pad.[352] | ||||||
| 2026[353] | Block 3 | Depot[354] | TBA | Propellant Depot | LEO | NASA |
| SpaceX will launch a depot to store propellant for Human Landing System (HLS) flights.[354] | ||||||
| 2026[353] | Block 3 | Block 3[102] | TBA | Propellant | LEO | NASA |
| Tanker launch for HLS demo. At least one tanker will be needed for most launches beyond LEO.[355] | ||||||
| 2026[353] | Block 3 | HLS | TBA | Uncrewed Lunar Demo[356] | NRHO,Lunar surface | NASA |
| NASA's demonstration mission for the Human Landing System prior to Artemis 3, announced in April 2021. For this mission, SpaceX attempts to land a Starship HLS on theMoon. (Before this, an unknown number of successful refueling flights will be required, estimated to be in the high teens.)[357] | ||||||
| Q4 2026[358] | Unknown | Unknown | TBA | Uncrewed Mars Demo[358][359] | Martian surface | SpaceX |
| SpaceX plans to launch around five Starship upper stages toMars in the 2026 Mars transfer window.[359] The Ships would attempt to land on an as of yet unspecified location on the Martian surface upon arrival at Mars, as part of theiriterative and incremental cycle of development.[358] The Italian Space Agency contracted SpaceX in 2025 for delivering several experiments to the Martian surface on the first Starship flight to Mars.[360] | ||||||
| December 2026[361] | Block 3[102] | HLS | TBA | Astrolab FLEX rover[362]Possible rideshare | Lunar surface | Astrolab |
| Flexible Logistics and Exploration (FLEX) rover will include 1,000 kilograms of customer payloads. | ||||||
| Date and time (UTC) | Version, booster | Version, ship | Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Customer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027[363] | Unknown | Unknown | TBA | Superbird-9[364] | GTO | SKY Perfect JSAT |
| Superbird-9 isSKY Perfect JSAT's fully flexible HTS (High Throughput Satellite) based onAirbus' OneSat product line. | ||||||
| 2027[365] | Block 3 | HLS | TBA | ISRU Processing System[365]Possible rideshare | Lunar surface | Luxembourg Space Agency |
| In April 2023, LSA and a private firm, OffWorld Europe, announced a partnership to develop anISRU process to extract, process, store and use water collected from the surface of themoon in the form of ice. The project, which is under the oversight of the European Space Agency (ESA), will use OffWorld's technical expertise in robotics with a technology demonstration mission slated for launch to the moon in 2027 as part ofSpaceX's firstStarship HLS mission for theArtemis program.[365] An unknown number of refueling flights, estimated to be in the high teens, will be required prior to the mission.[357] | ||||||
| Mid 2027[366] | Block 3[102] | HLS | TBA | Crewed Lunar Demo[367] | NRHO,Lunar surface | NASA |
| Artemis III will be the first crewed lunar landing sinceApollo 17. An unknown number of refueling flights, estimated to be in the high teens, will be required prior to the mission.[357] | ||||||
| 2028[368] | Unknown | HLS | TBA | Sustaining Crewed Lunar Demo[369] | NRHO,Lunar surface | NASA |
| On November 15, 2022, NASA announced it had awarded a contract to SpaceX as part of Option B of the Appendix H contract. This would allow SpaceX to use a second-generation Starship HLS design to conduct aLunar Gateway-based demonstration mission as part ofArtemis IV.[369] An unknown number of refueling flights, estimated to be in the high teens, will be required prior to the mission.[357] | ||||||
| 2029[370] | Unknown | Unknown | TBA | Starlab[371] | LEO | Voyager Space/Airbus |
| Starlab is a planned commercial space station. | ||||||
| 2029[372] | Unknown | HLS | TBA | Eagle Rover[373]Possible rideshare | Lunar surface | Lunar Outpost[374] |
| The Eagle Rover has been selected by NASA for study as a Lunar Terrain Vehicle.[375] | ||||||
| 2030[376] | Unknown | Unknown | TBA | Haven-2 Core Module | LEO | VAST |
| Launch of Haven-2 Core module.[377] | ||||||
| 2032[378] | Unknown | HLS | TBA | Lunar CruiserPossible rideshare | Lunar surface | JAXA/NASA |
| The Lunar Cruiser is a crewed pressurizedlunar rover being developed jointly byJAXA andToyota that astronauts can drive and live in on the Moon.[379] | ||||||
| 2035[380] | Unknown | Unknown | TBA | Vast artificial gravity station Module 1 | LEO | VAST |
| First module for Vast's 100 m spinning artificial gravity station.[14] | ||||||
| 2035[380] | Unknown | Unknown | TBA | Vast artificial gravity station Module 2 | LEO | VAST |
| Second module for Vast's artificial gravity station.[14] | ||||||
| 2035[380] | Unknown | Unknown | TBA | Vast artificial gravity station Module 3 | LEO | VAST |
| Third module for Vast's artificial gravity station.[14] | ||||||
| 2035[380] | Unknown | Unknown | TBA | Vast artificial gravity station Module 4 | LEO | VAST |
| Fourth module for Vast's artificial gravity station.[14] | ||||||
| 2035[380] | Unknown | Unknown | TBA | Vast artificial gravity station Module 5 | LEO | VAST |
| Fifth module for Vast's artificial gravity station.[14] | ||||||
| 2035[380] | Unknown | Unknown | TBA | Vast artificial gravity station Module 6 | LEO | VAST |
| Sixth module for Vast's artificial gravity station.[14] | ||||||
| TBA | Unknown | Crew | TBA | Polaris III | TBA | Jared Isaacman |
| Polaris III will be the first crewed launch on Starship.[381] It is not expected to occur until Starship has flown at least 100 successful cargo flights, though this is not a firm requirement.[382] This is the final flight of thePolaris Program.[383][384] | ||||||
SpaceX plans to use Starship to launch the second generation of satellites for SpaceX'sStarlink system, which currently delivers high-speed internet to over 70 countries.[385] An analyst at financial services companyMorgan Stanley stated development of Starship and Starlink are intertwined, with Starship's planned launch capacity enabling cheaper Starlink launches, and Starlink's profits financing Starship's development costs.[386] In deficit from its inception until the end of 2022,[387] Starlink was first reported to be cash flow positive in the first quarter of 2023,[388][389] though Elon Musk said that Starlink had only reached "break-even cashflow" in 2023.[390] In December 2023, theFCC issued a final denial of a $885 million StarlinkRDOF subsidy because of Starlink's "continuing inability to successfully launch on the Starship rocket".[391]
Starship HLS was initially chosen by NASA as the sole lunarHuman Landing System for the plannedArtemis III andArtemis IV crewed missions, as part of theArtemis program.[392][393] Starship HLS is to be launched into a low Earth orbit, and refueled by multiple Starship tanker spacecraft.[394]: 4, 5 Once fueled, it would perform a trans lunar injection burn and enter anear-rectilinear halo orbit[395] around the Moon, with aperilune of 1,500 km (930 mi) occurring over the north pole and anapolune of 70,000 km (43,000 mi) occurring over the south pole.[394]: 4, 5 TheOrion spacecraft would then dock with Starship HLS and two of its four crew would transfer into Starship HLS.[394]: 4, 5 Starship HLS would then use its engines to make a powered descent and land near thelunar south pole.[394]: 4, 5 After the crew performs the surface portion of its mission, the HLS would ascend with the crew.[394]: 4, 5 The crew would then transfer into the Orion spacecraft and return to Earth.[394]: 4, 5
Astronomers have called to consider Starship's larger mass to orbit and wider cargo bay for proposed space telescopes such asLUVOIR, and to develop larger telescopes to take advantage of these capabilities.[396][397] Starship's 9 m (30 ft) fairing width could hold an 8 m (26 ft) wide space telescope mirror in a single piece,[396] alleviating the need for complex unfolding such as that of theJWST's 6.5 m (21 ft) mirror, which added cost and delays.[397] Ariane 5 imposed a ~6,500 kg limit on the telescope's weight.[398] Starship's low launch cost could also allow probes to use heavier, more common, cheaper materials, such as glass instead ofberyllium for large telescope mirrors.[397][275] With a 5 t (11,000 lb) mirror built using similar methods to theHubble Space Telescope's mirror, the JWST would represent only 10% of the mass deliverable by a (refueled) Starship to the Sun–EarthL2 point, and therefore minimizing the weight of the telescope would not have been a dominant design consideration.[397]
TheNational Academies of Science's2020 survey recommended theHabitable Worlds Observatory (HWO); the space observatory, requiring a super heavy lift launch vehicle, will search forsigns of life onexoplanets.[398] The HWO's team hopes for the success of big launchers due to their critical importance to the HWO's mission.[398] Lee Feinberg, NASA HWO lead architect[398] and JWST manager,[399] stays in communication with SpaceX to track Starship's progress and has visited them in 2024 for that same purpose.[398] The NASA Habitable Worlds Observatory will have a 6–8 meter mirror for now, but its design should be flexible to leverage launchers with potentially double the mass and volume by the time it launches in the 2040s.[398] Former NASAJPL architect Casey Handmer believes the HWO to be far too conservative compared to what is possible with Starship.[398] Handmer argues that Starship enables telescopes to scale up to the point of surface-levelexoplanet imaging, perhaps big enough to detect seasonalmigration patterns.[398]
In January 2022, SpaceX was awarded a $102 million five-year contract to develop theRocket Cargo program for theUnited States Space Force.[284] The five-year contract is intended to "determine exactly what a rocket can achieve when used for cargo transport",[400] and will see the Air Force Research Laboratory collect data during commercial launches of Starship.[400] The contract includes an eventual demonstration mission with the launch and landing of a cargo-laden Starship in a point-to-point flight.
TheDepartment of Defense has planned a test with Starship as part of its program to demonstrate the ability to rapidly deploy up to 100 tons of cargo and supplies, a capability it calls point-to-point delivery (P2PD). The test is envisioned to take place in FY25 or FY26.[401]
In 2024, theNASA-ESA Mars Sample Return project, one of NASA's highest priority flagship projects, suffered a setback when an independent review board assessing the project's feasibility concluded that the project could not be completed under its mission profile. In April 2024, theAdministrator of NASA then announced that a new mission profile was needed for the project and that NASA would turn to industry for proposals, with responses due in fall 2024, and a high emphasis on lower total cost and lower risk.[402] Starship was proposed by some space journalists as a leading candidate to serve as a central component of the new mission profile architecture.[403][404]
SpaceX has proposed using Starship forpoint-to-point flights (called "Earth to Earth" flights by SpaceX), traveling anywhere on Earth in under an hour.[405][400] Musk stated that SpaceX would complete hundreds of cargo flights before launching with human passengers.[406]
According to SpaceX, the design of Starship is driven by its requirement to be able to land crews on Mars,[407]: 120 though SpaceX has not published technical plans or designs about Starship'slife support systems,radiation protection, docking system, or in-orbit refueling system for Mars.[408] The spacecraft would be launched to low Earth orbit and refueled in orbit before heading to Mars.[409] After landing on Mars, theSabatier reaction could be used to synthesize liquid methane and liquid oxygen, Starship's fuel, in apower-to-gas plant.[410] The plant'sraw resources would beMartian water andMartian carbon dioxide.[119] On Earth, similar technologies could be used to makecarbon-neutral propellant for the rocket.[411] To date, there has been one proof of concept experiment (MOXIE) demonstrating the extraction of oxygen from Martian carbon dioxide, withGeorge Dvorsky writing forGizmodo commenting that we are not "remotely close" to turning this "into something practical".[412][413]
SpaceX and Musk have statedtheir goal of colonizing Mars to ensure thelong-term survival of humanity,[275][414] with an ambition of having sent one million people to Mars by 2050.[415] In March 2022, he estimated that the first crewed Mars landing could occur in 2029.[416] This timeline has been criticized as unrealistic by Kevin Olsen, a physicist at theUniversity of Oxford, England, who has said that "colony needs to become a factory" to produce air, fuel and water as it is "fundamentally impossible to create a completely closed environment in space", and that the technology to do so is "far, far behind the technology of space flight and habitation construction".[412] Serkan Saydam, a mining engineering professor from theUniversity of New South Wales, Australia, stated that humanity currently lacks the necessary technology to establish a Martian colony, and will likely lack the capacity to establish a Martian city with one million people by 2050.[412]
One future payload is theSuperbird-9 communication satellite, which was Starship's first contract for externally made commercial satellites.[417] Another planned payload is theStarlab space station, which Starship will launch in a single piece.[418]
In the future, the spacecraft's crewed version could be used forspace tourism—for example, for the third flight of thePolaris program.[419]
Research conducted byProject Lyra determined that with refueling in LEO, a Starship could send a spacecraft to'Oumuamua on a journey taking 20 years.[420] A gravity assist would be required at Jupiter.[420]
Starbase consists of a manufacturing facility and launch site,[421] and is located at Boca Chica, Texas. Both facilities operate 24 hours a day.[30] A maximum of 450 full-time employees may be onsite.[139]: 28 The site is planned to consist of two launch sites, one payload processing facility, one seven-acresolar farm, and other facilities.[139]: 34–36
Raptor engines are tested at theRocket Development facility in McGregor, Texas. The facility has two main test stands: one horizontal stand for both engine types and one vertical stand for sea-level-optimized rocket engines.[422] In the future, a nearby factory, which as of September 2021[update] was under construction, will make the new generation of sea-level Raptors while SpaceX's headquarters in California will continue building the Raptor Vacuum and test new designs.[422]
At Florida, a facility at Cocoa purifiessilica for Starship heat-shield tiles, producing aslurry that is then shipped to a facility at Cape Canaveral. In the past, workers constructed theStarship MK2 prototype in competition with Starbase's crews.[74] TheKennedy Space Center, also in Florida, is planned to host other Starship facilities, such as a Starship launch site atLaunch Complex 39A and a production facility at Roberts Road. This production facility is being expanded from "Hangar X", the Falcon rocket boosters' storage and maintenance facility. It will include a 30,000 m2 (320,000 sq ft) building,loading dock, and a place for constructing integration tower sections.[423] Adjacent to the Kennedy Space Center will be an additional launch site atCape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 37, likely to service missions for the complex owner, theUnited States Space Force.
Starbase is planned to host two launch sites, named Pad A and Pad B.[139]: 34 A launch site at Starbase has large facilities, such as atank farm, an orbital launch mount, and an integration tower.[139] Smaller facilities are present at the launch site: tanks surrounding the area containing methane, oxygen, nitrogen, helium,hydraulic fluid, etc.;[139]: 161 subcoolers near the tank farm cool propellant using liquid nitrogen; and various pipes are installed at large facilities.[140] Each tank farm consists of eight tanks, enough to support one orbital launch.[140] The current launch mount on Pad A has a water-poweredflame diverter, 20 clamps holding the booster, and a quick disconnect mount providing liquid fuel and electricity to the Super Heavy booster before it lifts off.[140]
The integration tower orlaunch tower consists ofsteel truss sections, alightning rod on top,[424] and a pair of mechanical arms that can lift, catch and recover the booster.[140] The decision to catch the booster with the arms was made to reduce the rocket's mass and mechanical complexity by removing the need for landing legs, as well as enabling more rapid reuse by placing the rocket directly back on the launchpad.[4]: 2 The mechanical arms are attached to a carriage and controlled by apulley at the top of the tower.[140] The pulley is linked to awinch andspool at the base of the tower using a cable.[140] Using the winch and the carriage, the mechanical arms can move vertically, with support frombearings attached at the sides of the carriage.[140] A linearhydraulic actuator moves the arms horizontally. On top of the arms are tracks, which are used to position the booster or spacecraft.[140] The tower is mounted with a quick disconnect arm extending to and contracting from the Starship spacecraft; its functions are similar to the quick disconnect mount that powers the booster.[140]
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SpaceX has been constructing a Starship launch pad atKennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) since 2021. The site was leased to the company in 2014 and is used to launchFalcon 9 rockets.[423][425] AFinding of No Significant Impact was issued by SpaceX'senvironmental impact statement (EIS), with NASA as the lead agency, earlier in September 2019 for the launch pad site.[426] In 2024, theFederal Aviation Administration began the process of preparing an EIS evaluating the potential impacts of the new infrastructure and a higher launch cadence of up to 44 per year at LC-39A.[427]
In June 2024, Blue Origin andUnited Launch Alliance (ULA) provided comments as part of the EIS process, both objecting to the impact that Starship launch operations may have on their own activities at the site.[352] Blue Origin suggested several mitigations, including allowing other operators to object to a Starship launch that would conflict with one of its own, limiting Starship operations to particular times, or expanding the number of launchpads in the area to reduce the impact of conflicting launches.[428] ULA suggested regulators prevent Starship from launching in Florida altogether because a fully fueled Starship would require an evacuation zone so large that it would prevent other operators from using their facilities, and the noise generated by repetitive launches could be injurious to those who live or work nearby.[429][430] Elon Musk suggested that the two companies' comments were disingenuous and that their true motivation was to impede SpaceX's progress bylawfare.[352]
The company has also proposed building another Starship launch pad at the nearbyCape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 37 (SLC-37) which became vacant in 2024 after the retirement of theDelta IV rocket. That year, theUnited States Space Force began the process of preparing an EIS evaluating the potential impacts of new infrastructure and a launch cadence of up to 76 times per year at SLC-37.[431] SpaceX and NASA have also worked on assessing LC-49 to the north of 39A.[432] The Kennedy Space Center's Master Plan One has stated that LC-49 could avoid overflight issues with pad 39B and minimize conflict with theCanaveral National Seashore.[433] On January 18, 2024, NASA does not have activities underway at LC-49.[434]
Both EIS processes must be complete before SpaceX will be cleared to launch Starship from Florida, which likely will not occur until late 2025.[352] ThePlayalinda Beach has been closed by KSC Police and the National Park Service for many launches from 39A and 39B.[434] The towers and mechanical arms at the sites should be similar to the ones at Starbase.[423]
In order to compete with SpaceX and close their technological gap with the company, theChina Aerospace Science and Tech Corp and other aerospace actors in China have reportedly been working on their own equivalent of Starship—theLong March 9 super-heavy lift rocket,[435] which is also designed to eventually be fully reusable.[436] In 2021, theChina Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT) showed a rendered video of a rocket noted to be "strikingly" similar to Starship in appearance and function.[437] In a 2022 event organized by theInternational Astronautical Federation and theChinese Society of Astronautics, the CALT communicated performing research on a crewed launch vehicle powered by LOX-methane propellant, with a second stage that was very similar to Starship's.[438]
SpaceNews noted that the Chinese start-upSpace Epoch and engine makerJiuzhou Yunjian were developing a smaller Starship-like rocket with a methane-LOX engine similar to Raptor, stainless steel tanks, and an iterative design.[439] Starship's reusability and stainless-steel construction might also have inspiredProject Jarvis, a reusable upper stage forBlue Origin'sNew Glenn heavy-lift launch vehicle intended to replace New Glenn's expendable upper stage in the future.[440]
In 2021, members of the U.S. Congress voiced concerns about the U.S. FAA's response to SpaceX's launch license violations following the explosion of SN8, calling on the FAA to "resist any potential undue influence on launch safety decision-making".[189] In 2023, prior toStarship's second test flight, SpaceX's vice president and ex-NASA engineerBill Gerstenmaier made statements at the U.S. Senate on the importance of innovation in light of "strategic competition from state actors like China".[441] He said SpaceX was under a contract with NASA to use Starship to land American astronauts on the Moon before China does,[442] and that the Starship test flights campaign was being held up by "regulatory headwinds and unnecessary bureaucracy" unrelated to public safety.[443]
Following the second flight test of Starship, the U.S.Government Accountability Office (GAO) made recommendations to the U.S. FAA to "improve its mishap investigation process", finding that historically they have allowed the launch operator to conduct their investigation with the FAA supervising.[444] Several environmental groups have filed lawsuits against the FAA and SpaceX, claiming that environmental reviews were bypassed due to Musk's political and financial influence.[445]
Ship engines will fire up before all the Booster engines shut down. Now need vents for hot staging. Adding an extension to the booster that is all vent and more shielding to the top of the booster. It's the most risky thing for the next flight.
Starship is the fully reusable spacecraft and second stage of the Starship system.
[Shotwell] said she expected Starship to fly at least 100 times before it carries people for the first time [...] In her later conversation with reporters, she called that 100-flight milestone a "great goal" but suggested it was not a requirement.
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