On March 14, 2024, Starship successfully lifted off at 8:25 a.m. CT from Starbase in Texas and went on to accomplish several major milestones and firsts. Starship’s six second stage Raptor engines all started successfully and powered the vehicle to its expected orbit, becoming the first Starship to complete its full-duration ascent burn. Starship went on to experience its first ever entry from space, providing valuable data on heating and vehicle control during hypersonic reentry. Live views of entry were made possible by Starlink terminals operating on Starship. This rapid iterative development approach has been the basis for all of SpaceX’s major innovative advancements, including Falcon, Dragon, and Starlink. Recursive improvement is essential as we work to build a fully reusable transportation system capable of carrying both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, help humanity return to the Moon, and ultimately travel to Mars and beyond.

On Wednesday, May 5, 2021, Starship serial number 15 (SN15) successfully completed SpaceX’s fifth high-altitude flight test of a Starship prototype from Starbase in Texas. Similar to previous high-altitude flight tests of Starship, SN15 was powered through ascent by three Raptor engines, each shutting down in sequence prior to the vehicle reaching apogee – approximately 10 km in altitude. SN15 performed a propellant transition to the internal header tanks, which hold landing propellant, before reorienting itself for reentry and a controlled aerodynamic descent. The Starship prototype descended under active aerodynamic control, accomplished by independent movement of two forward and two aft flaps on the vehicle. All four flaps were actuated by an onboard flight computer to control Starship’s attitude during flight and enabled precise landing at the intended location. SN15’s Raptor engines reignited as the vehicle performed the landing flip maneuver immediately before touching down for a nominal landing on the pad. These test flights of Starship are all about improving our understanding and development of a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo on long-duration interplanetary flights, and help humanity return to the Moon, and travel to Mars and beyond. Congratulations to the entire SpaceX team on SN15’s successful flight and landing!

SpaceX Starship, a remarkable creation from the visionary private space exploration company founded by Elon Musk, is an extraordinary feat of engineering that embodies the limitless potential of human ingenuity. The Starship represents a pioneering concept in space travel, providing an advanced, fully reusable transportation system designed to propel both crew and cargo beyond the frontiers of Earth’s orbit and enable unparalleled point-to-point travel on our planet. This awe-inspiring spacecraft comprises two distinct but interdependent components: the powerful Super Heavy booster and the sleek, futuristic Starship spacecraft. The Super Heavy booster serves as the initial thrust mechanism that catapults the Starship spacecraft into orbit, while the Starship spacecraft itself is responsible for carrying both crew and cargo to their intended extraterrestrial destinations. Fashioned out of the ultra-durable stainless steel, the Starship spacecraft is a masterful creation of technological sophistication that can carry up to 100 people and accommodate a staggering payload capacity of up to 150 metric tons. The spacecraft boasts a bevy of cutting-edge features, including robust engines and state-of-the-art avionics systems that guarantee the utmost safety and precision in the spacecraft’s landings on various extraterrestrial surfaces. SpaceX’s relentless commitment to innovation and progress is evident in their extensive testing of the Starship prototype at their launch facility in South Texas. The company envisions a future where the Starship spacecraft serves as a vital tool for humanity’s exploration of the Moon and Mars, as well as facilitating commercial point-to-point travel on our planet. With the Starship, SpaceX hopes to [More]

On Wednesday, March 3, Starship serial number (SN10) successfully completed SpaceX’s third high-altitude flight test of a Starship prototype from our site in Cameron County, Texas. Similar to the high-altitude flight tests of Starship SN8 and SN9, SN10 was powered through ascent by three Raptor engines, each shutting down in sequence prior to the vehicle reaching apogee – approximately 10 km in altitude. SN10 performed a propellant transition to the internal header tanks, which hold landing propellant, before reorienting itself for reentry and a controlled aerodynamic descent. The Starship prototype descended under active aerodynamic control, accomplished by independent movement of two forward and two aft flaps on the vehicle. All four flaps were actuated by an onboard flight computer to control Starship’s attitude during flight and enabled a precise landing at the intended location. SN10’s Raptor engines reignited as the vehicle performed the landing flip maneuver immediately before successfully touching down on the landing pad! As if the flight test was not exciting enough, SN10 experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly shortly after landing. These test flights are all about improving our understanding and development of a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo on long-duration interplanetary flights, and help humanity return to the Moon, and travel to Mars and beyond.