List of Starship launches
List of launches of SpaceX's fully reusable Starship
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
As of October 13, 2025, the SpaceX Starship has been launched 11 times, with 6 successes and 5 failures. The American company has developed Starship with the intention of lowering launch costs using economies of scale.[1] It aims to achieve this by reusing both rocket stages, increasing payload mass to orbit, increasing launch frequency, creating a mass-manufacturing pipeline and adapting it to a wide range of space missions.[2][3] Starship is the latest project in SpaceX's reusable launch system development program and plan to colonize Mars, and is one of two landing systems selected by NASA for the Artemis program's crewed Lunar missions.
SpaceX calls the entire launch vehicle "Starship", which consists of the Super Heavy first stage (booster) and the ambiguously-named Starship second stage (ship).[4] There are four versions of the Starship vehicle: Block 1, (also known as Starship 1, Version 1, or V1) which is retired,[5] Block 2, which first flew in Starship flight test 7 and was retired after Starship flight test 11, Block 3, and Block 4, with the latter two in development. As of October 13, 2025, 6 Block 1 vehicles and 5 Block 2 vehicles have flown;[6] with the last Block 1 launch occurring in November 2024 (Starship flight test 6).[7] Both Starship's first and second stages are planned to be reusable, and are planned to be caught by the tower arms used to assemble the rocket at the pad.[8] This capability was first demonstrated during Starship's fifth flight test, using a Block 1 booster.[9]
Launch statistics
- As of 7 January 2026
Launch sites
1
2
3
4
5
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Launch outcomes
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
- Failure
- Success
- Planned
Booster landings
1
2
3
4
5
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
- Precluded
- Ocean failure
- Tower failure
- Tower abort
- Ocean success[i]
- Tower success
- No attempt
Ship landings
1
2
3
4
5
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
- Precluded
- Ocean failure
- Tower failure
- Tower abort
- Ocean success[i]
- Tower success
- No attempt
Ship version
1
2
3
4
5
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
- Block 1
- Block 2
- Block 3
- Block 4
- Depot
- Starship HLS
- Starship Crew
- Any controlled flight to water, no recovery
Past launches
2023
| Flight No. |
Date and time (UTC) |
Version, booster[a] |
Version, ship[a] |
Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome | Booster landing | Ship landing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 20, 2023 13:33:09[10] |
Block 1 B7 |
Block 1 S24 |
Starbase, OLP‑1 | N/a | N/a | Transatmospheric[11] | SpaceX | Failure | Precluded | Precluded |
| For the first flight test with a ship integrated with the Super Heavy booster, the booster was planned to make a powered splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico, and the ship would enter a transatmospheric 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 of thrust vector control. The flight 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.[12] SpaceX declared this flight a success, as their primary goal was to only clear the pad.[13] The launch resulted in extensive damage to the orbital launch mount and the infrastructures around it, including the propellant tank farm.[14] | |||||||||||
| 2 | November 18, 2023 13:02:50[15] |
Block 1 B9 |
Block 1 S25 |
Starbase, OLP‑1 | N/a | N/a | Transatmospheric[16] | SpaceX | Failure | Failure (gulf) | Precluded |
| The second 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 a hot-staging separation. After initiating a flip maneuver and initiating boostback burn, several booster engines began shutting down due to filter blockage.[17] An energetic failure of one engine caused the booster to explode.[17] The upper stage ascended nominally for another six minutes.[18] 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,[17] 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.[17] | |||||||||||
2024
| Flight No. |
Date and time (UTC) |
Version, booster[a] |
Version, ship[a] |
Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome | Booster landing | Ship landing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | March 14, 2024 13:25:00[19] |
Block 1 B10 |
Block 1 S28 |
Starbase, OLP‑1 | N/a | N/a | Suborbital[20] | SpaceX | Success | Failure (gulf) | Failure (ocean) |
| The third 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.[21][22] 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.[22] The booster malfunctions were attributed to continuing filter blockage issues.[23] The spacecraft trajectory was suborbital, with a 234 km (145 mi) apogee and −50 km (−31 mi) perigee,[24] although the ship reached orbital speed.[25] A scheduled restart of a Raptor engine for a prograde burn test did not occur, which would have resulted in a 50 km (31 mi) perigee and somewhat later entry into the atmosphere.[24] 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[26] |
Block 1 B11 |
Block 1 S29 |
Starbase, OLP‑1 | N/a | N/a | Suborbital[27] | SpaceX | Success | Controlled (gulf) | Controlled (ocean) |
| The fourth 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[28] on a "virtual tower", in preparation for a catch by the launch tower during Flight 5.[29] The spacecraft performed a successful reentry despite severe forward flap damage and conducted a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean,[30] within the target region but 6 kilometers from the center.[31] | |||||||||||
| 5 | October 13, 2024 12:25:00[32] |
Block 1 B12 |
Block 1 S30 |
Starbase, OLP‑1 | N/a | N/a | Suborbital[33] | SpaceX | Success | Success (OLP-1) | Controlled (ocean) |
| The fifth flight test was the first to achieve booster recovery and complete a flight without engine failures. After stage separation, the booster returned 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.[9] | |||||||||||
| 6 | November 19, 2024 22:00:00[34] |
Block 1 B13 |
Block 1 S31 |
Starbase, OLP‑1 | Plush banana | Unknown | Transatmospheric[35] | SpaceX | Success | Controlled (gulf) Abort (OLP‑1) |
Controlled (ocean) |
| The sixth 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.[36] | |||||||||||
2025
In a talk in November 2024, Starbase General Manager Kathy Lueders announced that SpaceX hoped to be able to catch a Starship upper stage sometime in the next 6 months and have as many as 25 launches in 2025.[37] 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[a] |
Version, ship[a] |
Launch site | Payload | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome | Booster landing | Ship landing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | January 16, 2025 22:37:00[38] |
Block 2 B14‑1[39] |
Block 2 S33[40] |
Starbase, OLP‑1 | 10 Starlink simulator satellites[41] | ~20,000 kg (44,000 lb)[42][43] | Transatmospheric[44] | SpaceX | Failure | Success (OLP-1) | Precluded |
| The seventh 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.[45] It marked the inaugural flight of a Block 2 Ship, featuring structural, avionics, and other upgrades.[40] The mission also aimed to test the deployment system for 10 Starlink 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.[46] The vehicle subsequently exploded over the Turks and Caicos Islands, prompting airspace closures in the region for over an hour.[47] 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.[46] 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.[47] | |||||||||||
| 8 | March 6, 2025 23:31:02[48] |
Block 2 B15‑1[45] |
Block 2 S34[49] |
Starbase, OLP‑1 | 4 Starlink simulator satellites[48] | ~8,000 kg (18,000 lb)[48] | Transatmospheric | SpaceX | Failure | Success (OLP-1) | Precluded |
| The eighth 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,[50] 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.[48] | |||||||||||
| 9 | May 27, 2025 23:36:28[51] |
Block 2 B14-2[52] |
Block 2 S35[53] |
Starbase, OLP‑1 | 8 Starlink simulator satellites[51] | ~16,000 kg (35,000 lb)[51] | Transatmospheric | SpaceX | Failure | Failure (gulf) | Failure (ocean) |
| The ninth 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.[54] The ship reached engine cutoff but failed to deploy its payload of eight Starlink simulator satellites[51] and experienced a fuel leak, resulting in a loss of control. The ship was passivated before reentry and broke up over the Indian Ocean.[54] | |||||||||||
| 10 | August 26, 2025, 23:30:00[55] | Block 2 B16[56] |
Block 2 S37[57] |
Starbase, OLP‑1 | 8 Starlink simulator satellites[55] | ~16,000 kg (35,000 lb)[55] | Transatmospheric | SpaceX | Success | Controlled (gulf) | Controlled (ocean) |
| Flight 10 was originally expected to occur on June 29, 2025;[58] however, the ship originally designated for Flight 10 exploded during testing.[59]
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.[60] The ship reached the desired trajectory and deployed all eight of its Starlink simulators.[60] It then relit a single raptor engine, followed by atmospheric entry.[60] During descent through the atmosphere, there was substantial damage to the engine section.[60] Despite this, S37 was able to softly splash down within three meters of its target site in the Indian Ocean.[60][61] | |||||||||||
| 11 | October 13, 2025, 23:23:00[62] | Block 2 B15‑2[63] |
Block 2 S38[63] |
Starbase, OLP‑1 | 8 Starlink simulator satellites[64] | ~16,000 kg (35,000 lb)[64] | Transatmospheric | SpaceX | Success | Controlled (gulf) | Controlled (ocean) |
| Flight 11 was the last flight of Block 2 vehicles,[55] as well as the last flight from Pad-1 before its retrofit.[65] It flew a similar profile to the previous two flights,[66] with twenty-four engines flying for a second time on Booster 15.[67] 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.[62] The ship, like on the previous flight, made it to SECO before deploying its eight Starlink simulators.[62] Following this, a single raptor engine was lit in space, with the ship reentering shortly afterwards.[62] Unlike on Flight 10, the ship was mostly undamaged from heat on reentry, despite the intentional removal of several tiles.[62] S38 landed on target in the Indian Ocean, detonating upon tipover.[62] | |||||||||||
Future launches
Future launches are listed chronologically when firm plans are in place. Launches are expected to take place "no earlier than" (NET) the listed date.
2026
| Date and time (UTC) | Version, booster |
Version, ship |
Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Customer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April, 2026[68] | Block 3 B19[69] |
Block 3 S39[70] |
Starbase, OLP‑2[71] | TBA | Transatmospheric | SpaceX |
| Flight 12 was originally expected to use Booster 18 and Ship 39; however, on November 21, 2025, Booster 18 was severely damaged in a testing anomaly.[72] The booster was scrapped days later, and Flight 12 is now expected to use Booster 19 and Ship 39. Flight 12 will be the first launch of Block 3 vehicles, as well as 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.[73] | ||||||
| 2026 | Block 3 | Block 3 | Starbase, OLP‑2 | TBA | LEO[74] | 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.[75] Should Flight 12 fail during launch or reentry, this goal may be delayed to a later flight.[76] As of January 2026, entry is expected to occur over northern Mexico.[74] | ||||||
| 2026 | Block 3 | Block 3 | TBA | N/a | LEO | NASA |
| Launch of the Starship target for the propellant transfer demonstration mission.[77] | ||||||
| 2026 | Block 3 | Block 3 | TBA | Propellant | LEO | NASA |
| Launch of the Starship chaser for the propellant transfer demonstration mission. This will occur around 3 to 4 weeks after the Starship target launches. Originally it was planned to launch from the same pad that the target vehicle had used,[77] though this may no longer be the case.[74] | ||||||
2027 and beyond
| Date and time (UTC) | Version, booster |
Version, ship |
Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Customer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Unknown | Depot[78] | TBA | Propellant Depot | LEO | NASA |
| SpaceX will launch a depot to store propellant for Human Landing System (HLS) flights.[78] | ||||||
| 2027 | Unknown | Unknown | TBA | Propellant | LEO | NASA |
| Tanker launch for HLS demo. At least one tanker will be needed for most launches beyond LEO.[79] | ||||||
| March 2027[80] | Unknown | HLS | TBA | Uncrewed Lunar Demo[81] | NRHO, Lunar surface | NASA |
| NASA's demonstration mission for the Human Landing System prior to Artemis 4, announced in April 2021. The Starship HLS lander will be placed in a Near-rectilinear halo orbit around the Moon and will then attempt to land on the surface. (Before this, an unknown number of successful refueling flights will be required, estimated to be in the high teens.)[82] | ||||||
| 2027 | Unknown | HLS | TBA | Astrolab FLEX rover[83] Possible rideshare | Lunar surface | Astrolab |
| Flexible Logistics and Exploration (FLEX) rover will include 1,000 kilograms of customer payloads. | ||||||
| 2027[84] | Unknown | Unknown | TBA | Superbird-9[85] | GTO | SKY Perfect JSAT |
| Superbird-9 is SKY Perfect JSAT's fully flexible HTS (High Throughput Satellite) based on Airbus' OneSat product line. | ||||||
| 2027[86] | Unknown | HLS | TBA | ISRU Processing System[86] Possible rideshare | Lunar surface | Luxembourg Space Agency |
| In April 2023, LSA and a private firm, OffWorld Europe, announced a partnership to develop an ISRU process to extract, process, store and use water collected from the surface of the moon 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 of SpaceX's first Starship HLS mission for the Artemis program.[86] An unknown number of refueling flights, estimated to be in the high teens, will be required prior to the mission.[82] | ||||||
| Mid 2027[87] | Unknown | HLS | TBA | Artemis III | LEO | NASA |
| Artemis III will feature a Low Earth Orbit docking test between HLS and Orion.[87] | ||||||
| 2028[87] | Unknown | HLS | TBA | Crewed Lunar Demo[88] | NRHO, Lunar surface | NASA |
| Artemis IV will be the first crewed lunar landing since Apollo 17. An unknown number of refueling flights, estimated to be in the high teens, will be required prior to the mission.[82] | ||||||
| 2028[89] | Unknown | HLS | TBA | Sustaining Crewed Lunar Demo[90] | 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 a Lunar Gateway-based demonstration mission as part of Artemis IV.[90] An unknown number of refueling flights, estimated to be in the high teens, will be required prior to the mission.[82] | ||||||
| 2029[91] | Unknown | Unknown | TBA | Starlab[92] | LEO | Voyager Space/Airbus |
| Starlab is a planned commercial space station. | ||||||
| 2029[93] | Unknown | HLS | TBA | Eagle Rover[94] Possible rideshare | Lunar surface | Lunar Outpost[95] |
| The Eagle Rover has been selected by NASA for study as a Lunar Terrain Vehicle.[96] | ||||||
| 2030[97] | Unknown | Unknown | TBA | Haven-2 Core Module | LEO | VAST |
| Launch of Haven-2 Core module.[98] | ||||||
| 2032[99] | Unknown | HLS | TBA | Lunar Cruiser Possible rideshare | Lunar surface | JAXA/NASA |
| The Lunar Cruiser is a crewed pressurized lunar rover being developed jointly by JAXA and Toyota that astronauts can drive and live in on the Moon.[100] | ||||||
| 2035[101] | Unknown | Unknown | TBA | Vast artificial gravity station Module 1 | LEO | VAST |
| First module for Vast's 100 m spinning artificial gravity station.[102] | ||||||
| 2035[101] | Unknown | Unknown | TBA | Vast artificial gravity station Module 2 | LEO | VAST |
| Second module for Vast's artificial gravity station.[102] | ||||||
| 2035[101] | Unknown | Unknown | TBA | Vast artificial gravity station Module 3 | LEO | VAST |
| Third module for Vast's artificial gravity station.[102] | ||||||
| 2035[101] | Unknown | Unknown | TBA | Vast artificial gravity station Module 4 | LEO | VAST |
| Fourth module for Vast's artificial gravity station.[102] | ||||||
| 2035[101] | Unknown | Unknown | TBA | Vast artificial gravity station Module 5 | LEO | VAST |
| Fifth module for Vast's artificial gravity station.[102] | ||||||
| 2035[101] | Unknown | Unknown | TBA | Vast artificial gravity station Module 6 | LEO | VAST |
| Sixth module for Vast's artificial gravity station.[102] | ||||||
| TBA | Unknown | Unknown | TBA | Uncrewed Mars Demo[7][103] | Martian surface | |
| SpaceX plans to launch around five Starship upper stages to Mars, which would attempt to land on an as of yet unspecified location on the Martian surface upon arrival at Mars, as part of their iterative and incremental cycle of development.[7] The Italian Space Agency contracted SpaceX in 2025 for delivering several experiments to the Martian surface on the first Starship flight to Mars.[104] | ||||||
| TBA | Unknown | Crew | TBA | Polaris III | TBA | Jared Isaacman |
| Polaris III will be the first crewed launch on Starship.[105] It is not expected to occur until Starship has flown at least 100 successful cargo flights, though this is not a firm requirement.[106] This is the final flight of the Polaris Program.[107][108] | ||||||
See also
Notes
- Starship vehicles have a multiple-digit serial number, followed by a hyphen and a number that indicates the flight count. Starship vehicles are in a S#-# format, while boosters are B#-#. For example, B14‑1 and B14‑2 represent the first and second flights of B14. Vehicles without a hyphen were either expended on their first flight or retired after recovery. Missions where a new vehicle is used are marked with a mint-colored background.