SpaceX Starship (spacecraft)

Starship

Starship prototype SN20 at the launch site; the distinctive stainless steel structure is visible as well as the edges of the dark thermal protection tiles that cover the other side of the vehicle.
Manufacturer	SpaceX
Country of origin	United States
Operator	SpaceX
Applications	Crew and cargo interplanetary transport Refueling operations Point-to-point transport on Earth
Website	spacex.com/vehicles/starship
Specifications
Spacecraft type	Crewed, reusable
Launch mass	~1,300,000 kg (2,900,000 lb)[a]
Dry mass	~100,000 kg (220,000 lb)[1]
Payload capacity	200,000 kg (440,000 lb) (planned)
Crew capacity	Up to 100 (planned)
Volume	1,000 m3 (35,000 cu ft) (planned)
Dimensions
Height	50.3 m (165 ft)
Diameter	9 m (30 ft)
Wingspan	17 m (56 ft)
Production
Status	In development
Launched	6
Retired	3
Failed	1 (IFT-2)
Lost	2 (IFT-1, IFT-3)
Maiden launch	20 April 2023
Related spacecraft
Derivatives	Starship HLS
Flown with	SpaceX Super Heavy
Technical details
Propellant mass	1,200,000 kg (2,600,000 lb)
Powered by	3 × Raptor engines 3 × Raptor vacuum engines
Maximum thrust	12,300 kN (2,800,000 lbf)
Specific impulse	SL: 327 s (3.21 km/s) vac: 380 s (3.7 km/s)[2]
Propellant	CH4 / LOX

Starship is a spacecraft and second stage^[3] under development by American aerospace company SpaceX. Stacked atop its booster, the Super Heavy, the pair compose SpaceX's new super heavy-lift space vehicle, also called Starship. The spacecraft is designed to transport both crew and cargo to a variety of destinations, including Earth orbit, the Moon, and Mars. It's designed to be reusable and capable of landing propulsively by firing its engines to perform a controlled descent^[4] in the arms of a tower on Earth or with landing legs on other planetary bodies.^[5] It is intended to enable long duration interplanetary flights with a crew of up to 100 people.^[3] It will also be capable of point-to-point transport on Earth, enabling travel to anywhere in the world in less than an hour. Furthermore, it will be used to refuel other Starship spacecraft, enabling them to reach higher orbits and other space destinations. Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, estimated in a tweet that eight launches would be needed to completely refuel a Starship in low Earth orbit, enabling it to travel onwards.^[6]

Development began in 2012, when Musk described a plan to build a reusable rocket system with substantially greater capabilities than the Falcon 9 and the planned Falcon Heavy. The rocket evolved through many design and name changes. On July 25, 2019, the Starhopper prototype performed the first successful flight at SpaceX Starbase near Boca Chica, Texas.^[7] In May 2021, the SN15 prototype became the first full-size test spacecraft to take off and land successfully.^[8] On April 20, 2023, Starship 24 performed the first full flight test on top of a Super Heavy booster, followed by a second test on November 18, 2023, when Starship 25 successfully completed hot-staging and passed the Kármán Line, becoming the first Starship to reach space as well as the heaviest object to ever reach space, before exploding at 148 km.^{[9][10][11][12][13]} As of November 2024, SpaceX has conducted 4 more flight tests of Starship, successfully achieving orbital velocities and gradually testing the atmospheric reentry and vertical landing capabilities of the vehicle by performing controlled splashdowns into the Indian ocean.^[14] In April 2024, Elon Musk announced two new versions of Starship, Block 2 and Block 3. Both versions will be taller and will have increased thrust.^[15]

The Block 2 version of Starship is 52.1 m (171 ft) tall, 9 m (30 ft) wide,^[16] and is composed of four general sections: the engine bay, the oxygen tank, the fuel tank, and the payload bay.^[1] 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 a dry mass of roughly 100 t (220,000 lb).^[1] The windward side is protected by a heat shield, which is composed of eighteen thousand^[17][18] hexagonal black tiles that can withstand temperatures of 1,400 °C (2,600 °F).^[19][20] It is designed to protect the vehicle during atmospheric entry and to be used multiple times with minimal maintenance between flights.^[21] The silica-based tiles^[22] are attached to Starship with pins^[20] and have small gaps in between to allow for heat expansion.^[1] After IFT-4, SpaceX added a secondary ablative layer under the primary heat shield.^[23] The total mass of the heat shield and ablative layer is 10.5 t (23,000 lb).^[24]

The propellant tanks on Starship are separated by a common bulkhead, similar to the ones used on the S-II and S-IVB stages on the Saturn V rocket.^[25][26] While Block 2 vehicles uses an elliptical dome, the common dome of the Block 1 design was more conical.^[27] Both tanks are heavily reinforced, with roughly 24 stringers attached to the interior walls of the tanks.^[28] The vehicle's tanks hold 1,500 t (3,300,000 lb) of propellant,^[16] consisting of 1,170 t (2,580,000 lb) of liquid oxygen and 330 t (730,000 lb) of liquid methane.^[b]

The methane tank has a camera installed in the forward dome, enabling images of the interior of the tank.^[29] Fuel is fed to the engines via four downcomers, with three smaller downcomers feeding the RVacs and the central downcomer feeding the inner three engines.^[30] The original design only featured a single downcomer, which terminated in a distribution manifold, directing propellant to the three sea level engines and the individual Rvacs.^[31] Inside this tank are two additional downcomers, which provide oxygen and methane to the central three engines from the header tanks.^[31]

The oxygen tank terminates with the thrust structure of the vehicle.^[31] The RVacs are mounted directly to the aft dome, which has reinforcements mounted inside of the tank.^[31] The three sea level engines are mounted on the thrust puck, which the inner thirteen are mounted directly to the thrust puck, which forms the bottom of the aft dome.^[31] 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, while also providing pathways for methane and oxygen to flow into the engines.^[31] The outer wall of the aft dome is covered in an insulation material, presumably to prevent frost from building up inside the engine bay during propellant load.^[32]

Starship is powered by 6 Raptor engines, which are housed within a dedicated shielding compartment.^[33] This compartment is present before engine installation, and contains several critical systems.^[32] These includes some of the motors for the aft flaps, the quick disconnect interface, and at least one battery.^[32] A camera is mounted inside of this bay, enabling images of the engines during flight.^[32][34] Until Starship flight test 3, this section held the hydraulic power unit, which provded the three sea level engines with thrust vector control capability.^[32] The first Block 1 vehicle, S20, had multiple COPVs mounted in this region as well.^[32] These components are all protected by the engine shielding.^[35]

The 3 Rvacs, which are arranged in a single ring, are in a fixed position.^[32] An additional three Rvacs will be added to the Block 3 ship design.^[16] The inner three engines are attached to an adapter, which rests directly against the thrust puck/aft dome assembly.^[33] These engines are equipped with gimbal actuators, and reignite for the boostback and landing burns.^[36] After Starship'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.^[37] This change was made to the booster after the first flight test.^[38] During the ascent burn burns, the engines draw propellant from the main tanks, with all subseqent burns drawing propellant from dedicated header tanks.^[39] 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 the fire suppression system.^[38] This system uses CO₂ tanks to purge the individual engine compartments during flight, as well as a nitrogen purge while on the launch pad.^[40] The aft bay has fifteen vents visible on the outside of the ship.^[38]

The Raptor engine uses a full-flow staged combustion cycle, which has both oxygen and methane-rich turbopumps.^[41][42] Before 2014, only two full-flow staged-combustion rocket engine designs had advanced enough to undergo testing: the Soviet RD-270 project in the 1960s and the Aerojet Rocketdyne Integrated Powerhead Demonstrator in the mid-2000s.^[43] To improve performance, the engines burn super cooled propellant.^[44]

The Block 1 version of the ship (used through November 2024) produces a total of 12.25 MN (2,750,000 lb_f)^[16] almost triple the thrust of the Saturn V second stage, with this total being expected to increase to 15.69 MN (3,530,000 lb_f) for Block 2 boosters and later up to 26.48 MN (5,950,000 lb_f) with the Block 3 vehicle.^[16]

During unpowered flight in orbit, control authority is provided by cold gas thrusters fed with residual ullage gas.^[45][46] Additionally, four "cowbell" vents are located just below the common dome, which point down towards the engines, though at a slight angle.^[45]

The payload bay hosts the header tanks, forward flaps, multiple COPVs, and the "pez dispenser". The header tanks provide propellant for all burns after SECO, and are mounted at the tip of the payload bay.^[47] The LOX header tank forms the top of the ogive of the bay, with the methane header tank attached directly below it.^[48] These tanks terminate in a conical sump, which are attached to the downcomers.^[47][48] Block 1 vehicles lacked this sump, reducing propellant capacity.^[47] COPV's are mounted in the space around the methane header tank, providing the startup gas for the engines.^[49]

The pez dispenser is used to deploy Starlink satellites into LEO.^[50] It was first added to S24, though it was permanently sealed until flight 3. It consists of the dispenser mechanism and the door.^[50] The door is actuated, folding up into the payload bay to open, and lowering to close.^[50] Its approximately 0.8 m (2 ft 7 in) tall and 7.3 m (24 ft) wide.^[50] In order to account for the door, significant structural reinforcements are added around it.^[51] Durring assembly, additional reinforcements are added to the door.^[50] The door has substantial reinforcements added to its interior, helping prevent deformation.^[50] The door is capable of mantaining a seal during flight, so long as it is not opened.^[50]

The dispenser itself is mounted directly to the forward dome.^[50] It has a truss structure for its base, with solid steel used elsewhere.^[50] A mobile track is used in the base, enabling the dispenser to push the satellite out of the vehicle.^[50] After dispensing a satellite, the next payload is lowered onto the base, and is deployed.^[50] The opposite occurs during loading, with the dispenser raising its payloads to receive another satellite.^[50] 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 "rentention frame". This is lowered alongside the satellites during operation.^[50]

The current Block 1 of the Starship spacecraft is 50.3 m (165 ft) tall, 9 m (30 ft) in diameter, and has 6 Raptor engines, 3 of which are optimized for use in outer space.^[52][53] The future Block 3 of the Starship spacecraft is planned to have an additional 3 Raptor Vacuum engines for increased payload capacity. Starship Block 1's payload bay, measuring 17 m (56 ft) tall by 8 m (26 ft) in diameter, is the largest of any active or planned launch vehicle; its internal volume of 1,000 m³ (35,000 cu ft) is slightly larger than the International Space Station's pressurized volume.^[54] SpaceX will also provide a 22 m (72 ft) tall payload bay configuration for even larger payloads.^[55]

Starship has a total propellant capacity of 1,200 t (2,600,000 lb)^[56] across its main tanks and header tanks.^[57] The header tanks are better insulated due to their position and are reserved for use to flip and land the spacecraft following reentry.^[58] A set of reaction control thrusters, which use the pressure in the fuel tank, control attitude while in space.^[59]

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.^[28] According to SpaceX, the flaps replace the need for wings or tailplane, reduce the fuel needed for landing, and allow landing at destinations in the Solar System where runways do not exist (for example, Mars).^: 1 The flap's hinges are sealed in aero-covers because they would otherwise be easily damaged during reentry.^[1]

Despite this, damage to the forward flaps was observed on flights four,^[60] five,^[61] and six,^[62] with near complete loss occuring on flight 4.^[63] Beginning with Block 2, the design of these forward flaps was significantly changed, becoming thinner and angled.^[64] Their location was also adjusted, moving leeward to prevent damage.^[49]

Starship stacks with 3 upper stage variants: HLS, propellant tanker and propellant depot. The vented interstage, located between the Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy booster, is not included in this render.

For an non-starlink satellite launch, Starship is planned to have a large cargo door that opens to release payloads, similar to NASA's Space Shuttle, and close upon reentry instead of a jettisonable nosecone fairing. Instead of a cleanroom, payloads are integrated directly into Starship's payload bay, which requires purging the payload bay with temperature-controlled ISO class 8 clean air.^[55]

Crewed Starship vehicles would replace the cargo bay with a pressurized crew section and have a life-support system. For long-duration missions, such as crewed flights to Mars, SpaceX describes the interior as potentially including "private cabins, large communal areas, centralized storage, solar storm shelters, and a viewing gallery".^[55] Starship's life support system is expected to recycle resources such as air and water from waste.^[65]

Starship will be able to be refueled by docking with separately launched Starship propellant tanker spacecraft in orbit. Doing so increases the spacecraft's mass capacity and allows it to reach higher-energy targets,^[c] such as geosynchronous orbit, the Moon, and Mars.^[66] A Starship propellant depot could cache methane and oxygen on-orbit and be used by Starship to replenish its fuel tanks.

Starship Human Landing System (HLS) is a crewed lunar lander variant of the Starship vehicle that would be modified for landing, operation, and takeoff from the lunar surface.^[67] It features landing legs, a body-mounted solar array,^[68] a set of thrusters mounted mid-body to assist with final landing and takeoff,^[68] two airlocks,^[67] and an elevator to lower crew and cargo onto the lunar surface.^[69]

Varying estimates have been given about the number of tanker launches required to fully fuel HLS, ranging from between "four and eight" to a number "in the high teens".^[70][71] These launches will reportedly have to be in "rapid succession" in order to manage schedule constraints and cryogenic fuel boil-off.^[70] When fully fueled, Starship HLS is designed to land 100 t (220,000 lb) of payload on the Moon.^[72][73][74]

In October 2012, the company made the first public articulation of plans to develop a fully reusable rocket system with substantially greater capabilities than SpaceX's existing Falcon 9.^[75] Later in 2012,^[76] the company first mentioned the Mars Colonial Transporter rocket concept in public. It was to be able to carry 100 people or 100 t (220,000 lb) of cargo to Mars and would be powered by methane-fueled Raptor engines.^[25] Musk referred to this new launch vehicle under the unspecified acronym "MCT",^[75] revealed to stand for "Mars Colonial Transporter" in 2013,^[77] which would serve as part of the company's Mars system architecture.^[78] SpaceX COO Gwynne Shotwell gave a potential payload range between 150–200 tons to low Earth orbit for the planned rocket.^[75] According to SpaceX engine development head Tom Mueller, SpaceX could use nine Raptor engines on a single MCT booster or spacecraft.^[79][77] The preliminary design would be at least 10 meters (33 ft) in diameter, and was expected to have up to three cores totaling at least 27 booster engines.^[78]

In 2016, the name of the Mars Colonial Transporter system was changed to the Interplanetary Transport System (ITS), due to the vehicle being capable of other destinations.^[80] Additionally, Elon Musk provided more details about the space mission architecture, launch vehicle, spacecraft, and Raptor engines. The first test firing of a Raptor engine on a test stand took place in September 2016.^[81][82]

The ITS second stage was planned to be used for long-duration spaceflight, instead of solely being used for reaching orbit. The two proposed variants aimed to be reusable.^[83] Its maximum width would be 17 m (56 ft), with three sea level Raptor engines, and six optimized for vacuum firing. Total engine thrust in a vacuum was to be about 31 MN (7,000,000 lbf).^[84] It would have 1,950 tonnes (4,300,000 lb) of propellant, and a dry mass of 150 tonnes (330,000 lb).^[84]

In September 2017, at the 68th annual meeting of the International Astronautical Congress, Musk announced a new launch vehicle calling it the BFR, again changing the name, though stating that the name was temporary.^[85] The acronym was alternatively stated as standing for Big Falcon Rocket or Big Fucking Rocket, a tongue-in-cheek reference to the BFG from the Doom video game series.^[86]

The BFR was designed to be 106 meters (348 ft) tall, 9 meters (30 ft) in diameter, and made of carbon composites.^[87][88] The upper stage, known as Big Falcon Ship (BFS), included a small delta wing at the rear end with split flaps for pitch and roll control. The delta wing and split flaps were said to expand the flight envelope to allow the ship to land in a variety of atmospheric densities (vacuum, thin, or heavy atmosphere) with a wide range of payloads.^{[87][85]: 18:05–19:25} The BFS design originally had six Raptor engines, with four vacuum and two sea-level. By late 2017, SpaceX added a third sea-level engine (totaling 7) to allow greater Earth-to-Earth payload landings and still ensure capability if one of the engines fails.^[89][d]

In December 2018, the structural material was changed from carbon composites^[90][83] to stainless steel,^[91][92] marking the transition from early design concepts of the Starship.^[91][93][94] Musk cited numerous reasons for the design change; low cost and ease of manufacture, increased strength of stainless steel at cryogenic temperatures, as well as its ability to withstand high heat.^[95][93] The windward side would be cooled during entry by allowing fuel or water to bleed through micropores in a double-wall stainless steel skin, removing heat by evaporation. The liquid-cooled windward side was changed in 2019 to use reusable heat shield tiles similar to those of the Space Shuttle.^[96][97]

In 2019, SpaceX began to refer to the entire vehicle as Starship, with the second stage being called Starship and the booster Super Heavy.^{[98][99][100][101]}

The first tests started with the construction of the first prototype in 2018, Starhopper, which performed several static fires and two successful low-altitude flights in 2019.^[102] In June 2020, SpaceX started constructing a launch pad for orbital Starship flights. In August and September 2020, SN5 and SN6 conducted a 150 m (500 ft) hop test.^[103][104] This was followed by a 12.5 km (7.8 mi) flight test in December 2020, using SN8. Despite a full successfully ascent burn, SN8 failed durign the landing attempt, due to low methane header tank pressure.^[59]

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.^[105] A month later, on March 3, Starship SN10 launched on the same flight path as SN9.^[106] The vehicle landed hard and crushed its landing legs, and detonated ten minutes later.^[107] On March 30, Starship SN11 flew into thick fog along the same flight path.^[108] The vehicle exploded during descent,^[108] possibly due to excess propellant in a Raptor's methane turbopump.^[109] On May 5, 2021, SN15 launched, completed the same maneuvers as older prototypes, and landed safely.^[110] SN15 had a fire in the engine area after landing but it was extinguished.^[111]

Booster 7 and Ship 24 conducted several static fire and spin prime tests before launch,^{[112]: 20 [113]} with the first such test doing significant damage to Booster 7 on July 11, 2022.^[114] After a launch attempt aborted on April 17, 2023,^[115] Booster 7 and Ship 24 lifted off on 20 April at 13:33 UTC in the first orbital flight test, with the vehicle being destroyed before stage separation.^[76]

On November 18, 2023, Booster 9 and Ship 25 lifted off the pad.^[116] After a successful stage separation, the second stage continued its ascent until it reached an altitude of ~149 kilometres (93 mi), before the flight termination system activated, and destroyed the vehicle.^[117] It appeared to re-enter a few hundred miles north of the Virgin Islands, according to NOAA weather radar data.^[118]

Flight 3 launched from the SpaceX Starbase facility along the South Texas coast around 8:25 CDT on March 14, 2024, coincidentally the 22nd anniversary of its founding.^[119][120] After stage separation, the Starship vehicle reached orbital velocity. While on an almost-orbital trajectory, the vehicle conducted several tests after engine cutoff, including initiating a propellant transfer demo and payload dispenser test.^[121][122] It attempted to re-enter the atmosphere,^[123][124] and at an altitude of around 65 km (40 mi), all telemetry from Ship 28 stopped, indicating a loss of the vehicle.^[125]

The fourth flight test of the full Starship configuration launched on June 6, 2024, at 7:50 AM CDT.^[126] The goals for the test flight were for the ship to survive peak heating during atmospheric reentry.^[127] The ship survived atmospheric reentry and successfully ignited its engines for a controlled splashdown.^[128]

Flight 6 was flown on November 19, 2024, successfully relighting a Raptor engine in the vacuum of space, paving the way for payload deployments on future flights.^[129] A stuffed toy banana served as the zero-g indicator, becoming Starship's first payload, though it remained within the vehicle for the duration of the flight.^[129] Eric Berger claimed that, due to the success of the in-space relight, Starship would likely be "cleared to travel into orbit".^[130]

Starship's development is iterative and incremental, using frequent—and often destructive—tests on a series of rocket prototypes.^{[131][20][132]}

SpaceX prototypes are subjected to several tests before they can be launched. Pressure tests come first, during which the tanks are filled with a liquid or gas to test their strength and safety factor. SpaceX tests some tanks beyond the specified limit, to find the point at which they burst. After engine installation, vehicles undergo static fire testing, during which the engines fire while the vehicle is prevented from lifting off. After passing these tests, a prototype vehicle will launch, either flying within the atmosphere, or attempting to reach orbit.^{[133]: 15–19}

Starhopper in March 2019

Starhopper configuration as flown in August 2019

Construction on the initial steel test article—Starship Hopper,^[148] Hopper, Hoppy, or Starhopper^[149]—began at Boca Chica in 2018. Starhopper had a single engine and was test flown to develop landing and low-altitude/low-velocity control algorithms.

Starhopper used liquid oxygen (LOX) and liquid methane fuel. After it completed its testing campaign Starhopper was repurposed as a water tank, weather station and equipment mount for cameras, lights, loudspeakers and a radar system.^[150]

It passed tanking tests, wet dress rehearsals, and pre-burner tests.^[151] A storm blew over and damaged Starhopper's nose cone. SpaceX continued testing without one.^[152]

It then passed a static fire test,^[153] and in a tethered test reached 1 meter altitude.^{[154][155][152]} On July 25, 2019, a Starhopper test flight reached about 20 m (66 ft) altitude,^[156] followed by an August 27 test that rose to 150 m (490 ft)^[157] and landed about 100 m (330 ft) from the launchpad, the Raptor's first use in flight.

On September 3, 2024, Starhopper was moved to a parking lot nearby the launch site.^[158]

SpaceX began building the high-altitude prototype, Mk1 in Texas and Mk2 in Florida, using competing teams that shared progress, insights, and build techniques.^[159][154] The vehicle featured three Raptor methalox engines and were meant to reach an altitude 5 km (3.1 mi).^[160][91]

Mk1 was 9 m (30 ft) in diameter and about 50 m (160 ft) tall,^[161] with an empty mass of 200 t (440,000 lb). It was intended for testing flight and reentry profiles, in pursuit of a suborbital flight. When announced, it had three sea-level Raptor engines, two fins each at the front and back, and a nose cone containing cold-gas reaction control thrusters, with all but the aft fins being removed afterwards.^{[162][163][164]}

On November 20, 2019, Mk1 blew apart during a pressure test.^[165][166]

SpaceX began Mk2 in Florida, sharing progress, insights, and build techniques with the Mk1 team in Texas.^[159][154] It was never completed.^[167]

The Mk3 prototype began construction in late 2019.^[161] In December 2019, Musk redesignated Mk3 as Starship SN1, and predicted that minor design improvements would continue through SN20.^[168] SpaceX began stacking SN1 in February 2020 after successful pressurization tests on propellant tank prototypes. SN1 was destroyed during a cryogenic pressurization test on February 28, 2020, due to a design flaw in the lower tank thrust structure.^[169][170]

Mk4 began construction in Florida in October 2019,^[171] but was scrapped after a few weeks.

SN3 was destroyed during testing on April 3, 2020^[133][172] due to a failure in the testing configuration.^[133]

SN4 passed cryogenic pressure testing on April 26^[173] and two static fires on May 5 and May 7: one tested the main tanks, while the other tested the fuel header tank.^[174] After uninstalling the engine, a new cryogenic pressure test was conducted on May 19. A leak in the methane fuel piping ignited, causing significant damage to the rocket's base, destroying the control wiring.^[175] SN4 was destroyed on May 29, due to a failure with the Ground Support Equipment's quick-disconnect function.^[176]

After a static fire test on July 30,^[177] SN5 completed a 150-meter flight (August 4) with engine SN27.^[139][178] SN5 was scrapped in February 2021.^[179]

SN6 completed a static fire on August 24, and a 150-meter hop test flight with engine SN29 on September 3. In January 2021, SN6 was scrapped.^[180]

SN8 was planned to be built out of 304L stainless steel,^[181] although some parts may have used 301L steel.^[182] In late October and November, SN8 underwent four static fires. During the third test, on November 12, 2020, debris from the pad caused the vehicle to lose pneumatics.^[183] Launch took place on December 9. Launch, ascent, reorientation, and controlled descent were successful, but low pressure in the methane header tank^[184] kept the engines from producing enough thrust for the landing burn, destroying SN8 on impact.^[185]

On December 11, 2020, the stand beneath SN9 failed, causing the vehicle to tip and contact the walls inside the High Bay.^[186] SN9 then required a replacement forward flap.^[187] SN9 conducted 6 static fires in January 2021,^[188] including three static fires in one day.^[189] After these tests, two engines had to be replaced.^[190] After struggling to gain U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) permission,^[191] SN9 conducted a 10 km (6.2 mi) flight test on February 2. Ascent, engine cutoffs, reorientation and controlled descent were stable, but one engine's oxygen pre-burner failed, sending SN9 crashing into the landing pad.^[192] The landing pad was then reinforced with an additional layer of concrete.^[193] After the SN9 failure, all three engines were used to perform the belly flop landing sequence. This offered a failsafe should one fail to ignite.^[194][195]

SN10 underwent a cryogenic proof test on February 8, 2021, followed by a static fire on February 23.^[196] After an engine swap, another static fire was conducted on February 25.^[197]

Two launch attempts were conducted on March 3. The first attempt was automatically aborted after one engine produced too much thrust while throttling up. After a 3-hour delay to increase the tolerance,^[198] the second attempt launched and landed successfully. The test ended with a hard landing-at 10 m/s – most likely due to partial helium ingestion from the fuel header tank. Three landing legs were not locked in place, producing a slight lean after landing. Although the vehicle initially remained intact, the impact crushed the legs and part of the leg skirt. Eight minutes later the prototype exploded.^[199][200]

SN11 accomplished a cryogenic proof test on March 12 that included a test of the Reaction control system (RCS),^[201][202] followed by a static fire test on March 15, 2021. Immediately after ignition, the test was aborted.^[203] Another static fire attempt^[204] led to reports that one of the three engines had been removed for repairs.^[205] A replacement engine was installed^[206] and a third static fire was attempted on March 26.^[207] A 10 km flight test was conducted in heavy fog on March 30. The test included engine cutoffs, flip maneuver, flap control and descent, along with a visible fire on engine 2^[208] during the ascent. Just after the defective engine was re-ignited for the landing burn, SN11 lost telemetry at T+ 5:49 and disintegrated.^[209]

SN12 through SN14 never launched.^[210]

SN15 introduced improved avionics software, an updated aft skirt propellant architecture, and a new Raptor design and configuration.^[211][212] A Starlink antenna on the side of the vehicle was another new feature.^[213] SN15 underwent an ambient temperature pressure test on April 9, 2021,^[214] followed by a cryogenic proof test on April 12, and a header tank cryogenic proof test on April 13.^[215][216] A static fire was conducted on April 26,^[217][218] and a header tank static fire on April 27 followed.^[219] A 10 km (33,000 ft) high-altitude flight test was conducted in overcast weather on May 5, achieving a soft touchdown. A small fire near the base started shortly after landing, though this was extinguished.^[111] After its engines were removed, it was moved to the Rocket Garden on May 31, 2021.^[220] On July 26, 2023, SN15 was scrapped.^[221]

SN16 was scrapped, while SN17, SN18, and SN19 were never completed.

SN20 was the first vehicle with a complete thermal protection system (TPS). SN20 rolled out to the launch mount on August 5, 2021, and was stacked onto Booster 4 for a fit test.^{[222][223][224]} U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) filings in May 2021 by SpaceX stated that the orbital flight would launch from Boca Chica, Texas. After separation, Starship would enter orbit and around 90 minutes later attempt a soft ocean landing around 100 km off the coast of Kauai, Hawaii.^[225] However, S20 was retired in March 2022. As of April 2024, SN20 (Ship 20) remains in the Rocket Garden.

Ship 21 was scrapped before being completed.^[226]

Ship 22 moved to the Rocket Garden in late February 2022. It was later scrapped, in favor of using S24 for integrated flight test 1 (IFT-1).^[226] Its nosecone was converted into a HLS interior mockup. 3d Artist TheSpaceEngineer has claimed that this mockup features two decks, the first containing the life support systems (ECLSS), and the second serving as habitation for the crew.^[227]

Ship 23 was scrapped and partially recycled in Ship 24.^[228]

Ship 24 was first spotted in November 2021, and conducted cryogenic proof tests on June 2, 2022, June 6, and June 7.^[229][230] On June 9, Ship 24 was rolled back to the production site for engine installation,^[231] and was rolled to Suborbital Pad B on July 5.^[232][233] Ship 24 conducted a series of spin prime tests in mid-late July.^{[234][235][236][237]} It completed a two engine static fire test on August 9,^[238] followed by an additional spin prime test on August 25.^[239] On September 8, 2022, Ship 24 underwent a six engine static fire test.^[240] The ship was subsequently stacked on top of Booster 7 in mid-October, followed by two destacks in October and early November.^{[241][242][243]} On December 15, Ship 24 conducted a single engine static test fire.^[244][245] In January 2023, Booster 7 and Ship 24 conducted a Wet Dress Rehearsal.^[246] On April 20, 2023, Ship 24 was destroyed in flight along with Booster 7 after spinning out of control.^[247][248]

Ship 25 was a Starship prototype similar to Ship 24, equipped with a heat shield and a payload bay, though this was permanently welded shut.^[249] It was used to test the cryogenic test stand at Massey's test site.^[249] During the third week of May 2023, Ship 25 was moved to the launch site and lifted onto suborbital pad B for engine testing.^[249] On June 21, 2023, Ship 25 performed a successful spin prime test,^[249] On June 26, 2023, Ship 25 underwent its first static fire test, igniting all six engines.^[249] On August 5, 2023, it was moved to the Rocket Garden for final TPS work.^[249] It was lifted onto B9 for the first time on September 5, and was destacked several times throughout the rest of the month and mid October.^[249] On October 22, B9 underwent two partial cryogenic tests, while S25 was not tested,^[249] followed by a full wet dress rehearsal (WDR) two days later.^[249] On November 18, 2023, Ship 25 was launched atop Booster 9 on the second Integrated Flight Test, with Ship 25 successfully separating from Booster 9.^[249] Near the end of its burn, a LOX dump started a fire in the engine bay, causing an explosion.^[249] The autonomous flight termination system activated, destroying the vehicle.^[250]

Ship 26 was an expendable Starship prototype, lacking heat shield tiles and flaps. Ship 26 also lacked a payload bay door. On September 9, 2023, S26 was moved to Suborbital Pad B for static fire testing.^[251] S26 then underwent a cryogenic test on October 9, 2023, followed by a preburner test with a single engine nine days later,^[252] and a single engine static fire test on October 20, 2023, simulating a deorbit burn. On December 16, 2023, SpaceX crews began welding large steel pieces onto S26's payload bay, although it is unclear what was the reason behind this reinforcement.^[253] Additional supports were added on December 20, 2023.^[254] S26 was rolled to the Massey's site on May 8 for static fire stand testing.^[255][256] S26 conducted a cryogenic test on May 24,^[257] followed by a six engine static fire on June 3.^[258] S26's engines were removed on August 14.^[259] It was moved into the High Bay on November 20,^[260] where it was scrapped.^[261]

Like S26, S27 was an expendable prototype, lacking heat shield tiles. It was the first Ship to have a reinforced payload dispenser. Ship 27 was scrapped on July 20, 2023, after the common dome failed.^[262] S27's aft section was then converted into a test article, presumably to test the engine shielding design present on S25.^[263] On September 27, 2023, S27 was rolled to the Massey's test site.^[263]

Ship 28, along with subsequent Block 1 models, features heat shield tiles as well as reinforced Starlink satellite dispensers.^[264] In July 2023, S28 underwent cryogenic testing, before receiving engines on August 18.^[265] On December 14, S28 was moved to the launch site and lifted onto Suborbital Pad B,^[266] where it completed a spin prime test on December 16,^[265] followed by a six engine static fire test on December 20,^[265] and a deorbit burn test on December 29.^[266] S28 was moved to the Orbital Launch Site for IFT-3 on February 10,^[265] and was stacked onto the B10 rocket.^[265] The combined vehicle conducted two aborted wet dress rehearsal attempts on February 14 and February 16.^[265][267] It was returned to Suborbital Pad B on February 19,^[265] where underwent a spin prime test on February 26,^[265] On March 3, 2024, B10 and S28 completed a wet dress rehearsal,^[265] followed by a final destack on March 5 for FTS installation.^[265] The FTS was armed on March 8, 2024,^[265] followed by S28 being restacked on March 10, 2024.^[265] S28 flew with B10 on March 14, and reached orbit. It conducted tests of the Payload Dispenser and fuel transfer system, before being destroyed during reentry.^[268]

On September 22, 2023, S29 was moved to Massey's for cryogenic testing, where it was cryogenically tested on September 26,.^[269] On November 21, 2023, S29 was moved into the High Bay,^[269] and on February 29, S29 was moved to the launch site,^[269] where it underwent a cryogenic test on March 7,^[270] followed by a spin prime test on March 11.^[271] On March 12, 2024, S29 was briefly removed from the launch site to prevent damage from IFT-3, before returning ahead of two static fire tests on March 25 and March 27.^[272][269] On May 15, S29 was lifted onto B11, with the combined vehicle completing a partial cryogenic test on May 16,^[273] and a full wet dress rehearsal on May 20.^[274] A second wet dress rehearsal was conducted on May 28.^[275] On May 29, S29 was destacked for final tile work and Flight Termination System (FTS) Installation,^[269] with FTS installation occurring on May 30.^[269] S29 was stacked onto B11 for the final time on June 5.^[269] On June 6, S29 was launched with B11 on IFT-4, with S29 completing a full ascent burn with no engine failures.^[276] It retained attitude control into reentry, despite the near-complete loss of a forward flap,^[276] and achieved a successful landing burn.^[276]

S30 was moved to Massey's test site for cryogenic testing on December 30, 2023.^[277] On January 3, 2024, S30 underwent its first cryogenic test.^[278] On May 1, it was rolled to the Suborbital Launch Site,^[279] where it was lifted onto Suborbital Pad B for static fire testing.^[280] It conducted a cryogenic test on May 7,^[281] followed by an aborted static fire test,^[282] and a 6 engine static fire test on May 8. On June 11, SpaceX began removing and replacing S30s thermal protection system, adding a backup ablative layer.^[283] S30 was rolled to Massey's on July 20,^[283] ahead of a 6 engine static fire on July 26,^[284] and rolled back to the production site on July 27.^[283] One of S30's Raptor Vacuum engines was replaced on August 3,^[283] and it was rolled back to Massey's on August 6,^[283] where it conducted a spin prime test on August 7.^[285] SpaceX claimed that B12 and S30 were ready to fly on August 8.^[285] S30 was then rolled back to the production site.^[283] On September 21, S30 was lifted onto B12.^[286] A partial wet dress rehearsal was conducted on September 23.^[287] followed by a second partial wet dress rehearsal on October 7,^[288] followed by S30 being destacked for FTS installation.^[289] FTS was installed on both vehicles on October 9,^[290] and S30 was stacked onto B12 for Flight 5 on October 11.^[291] On October 13, S30 launched on B12, and reached the desired trajectory after a nominal ascent burn with no engine failures. Like S29, S30 retained attitude control through reentry, and successfully reignited its engines for a splashdown in the Indian Ocean.^[292] As of October 13, 2024, S30 is the largest artificial object to reenter Earth's atmosphere.^[293]

On December 14, 2023, S31 was moved to the Rocket Garden,^[294] before being moved back into the High Bay on January 4.^[295] It was rolled to Massey's test site for cryogenic testing on May 11,^[296] with the first test ending prematurely due to an electrical anomaly.^[297] After being repaired, it returned to Massey's,^[298] where it was cryogenically tested on July 2 and July 3.^[299] On July 5, S31 was moved to Mega Bay 2 for engine installation.^[300] The process of replacing S31's thermal protection system began in early August.^[301] On September 6, S31 was rolled to Massey's for static fire testing.^[302] It attempted to static fire on September 8, with the test being aborted due to the weather.^[303] S31 conducted a static fire on September 18,^[304] and it was rolled back to the production site on September 20.^[305] S31 was moved to the launch site for IFT-6 on November 11,^[306] where its Flight Termination System was installed on November 12.^[307] It was stacked onto Booster 13 (B13) on November 14,^[308] with the combined vehicle conducted a partial wet dress rehearsal on November 17.^[309] On November 19, S31 launched on B13, and reached the desired trajectory.^[310] After conducting a relight of a raptor engine, S31 reenetered the atmosphere, and successfully completed the landing burn for a splashdown in the Indian Ocean.^[311] Several components of S31, including multiple tiles and COPVs, were recovered for analysis in Australia.^[312][313]

On November 24, Elon Musk implied that S32 would be the last Block 1 starship.^[314] On January 10, 2024, S32 was moved to the Rocket Garden.^[315] SpaceX confirmed that Flight 7 and subsequent launches would use Block 2 vehicles.^[123]

In late November, 2023, the original S33's components were scrapped,^[316] alongside the components of the original S34 through S38.^[317]

Block 2 ships will feature a new forward flap design, increased propellant capacity, and an increase in thrust.^[318] Additionally, the leeward side of the vehicle has some external stringers.^[319] These vehicles will be a total of 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) meters taller than the previous Block 1 ships.^[318]

On July 24, 2024, S33's nosecone and payload bay were rolled into Mega Bay 2.^[320] Stacking of the vehicle was completed on August 23.^[321] On October 26, S33 rolled to the Massey's test site,^[322] where it conducted a series of cryogenic tests.^[323] After engine installation, it returned to Massey's on December 11.^[324] It conducted a spin prime on December 12^[324] with an aborted static fire on December 14,^[325] and a static fire on December 15.^[326]

On September 19, 2024, S34's nosecone was rolled into the High bay ahead of integration with the payload bay.^[327] The combined assembly was then rolled into the Starfactory,^[328] and from there into Mega Bay 2.^[329]

S35's payload bay was rolled into the High Bay ahead of stacking with its nosecone.^[330]

Liquid Oxygen Header Test Tank (LOX HTT) was based on the LOX Header tank, as well as surrounding parts of the nosecone. On January 24, 2020, the tank underwent a pressurization test which lasted several hours.^[335] The following day it was tested to destruction.^[331]

SN2 was a test tank used to test welding quality and thrust puck design. The thrust puck is found on the bottom of the vehicle where in later Starship tests up to three sea-level Raptor engines would be mounted. SN2 passed a pressure test on March 8, 2020.^[170][169]

SN7 was a pathfinder test article for the switch to type 304L stainless steel.^[181] A cryogenic proof test was performed on June 15, 2020, achieving a pressure of 7.6 bar (110 psi) before a leak occurred. During a pressurize to failure test on June 23, 2020, the tank burst at an unknown pressure.^[336][333]

SN7.1 was the second 304L test tank, with the goal of reaching a higher failure pressure.^[181] The tank was repeatedly tested in September, and tested to destruction on September 23.^[337] The bulkhead came apart at a pressure of 8 bar (115 psi) in ullage and 9 bar (130 psi) at base.^[338][334]

SN7.2 was created to test thinner walls, and therefore, lower mass. It is believed to be constructed from 3 mm steel sheets rather than the 4 mm thickness of its predecessors.^[339] On January 26, 2021, SN7.2 passed a cryogenic proof test. On February 4, during a pressurize to failure test, the tank developed a leak.^[340][341] On March 15, SN7.2 was retired.^[342][343]

S24.1 was a test article design to test the redesigned aft section present on Block 1 ships after S24. It conducted a single test on the can-crusher on October 7, 2022. After this test failed, it received modifications before completing two tests on December 5 and December 6.^[344]

S26.1 was a test tank designed to test the aft section of Block 1 ships after S24.1's failure. It conducted two tests on the can-crusher, before being moved off in July 2023.^[345] On September 21, 2023, it was tested to destruction.^[346]

S24.2 was a test article designed to test the payload bay of Starlink dispenser vehicles.^[347] On September 28, 2023, it was moved to the Massey's test site. It performed two tests before subsequently being scrapped.

TT16 is a test tank designed for testing the Block 2 ship aft section,^[348][349] consisting of an aft section and a small common dome section. Its official designation is not yet known.^[350] On July 18, it was rolled to the Massey's test site for structural testing.^[348] It conducted two cryogenic tests on July 25,^[351] followed by another test on September 6, 2024.^[352] It was returned to the production site in early October for scrapping.^[353]

Test Tank 1 (TT1) was a subscale test tank consisting of two forward bulkheads connected by a small barrel section. TT1 was used to test new materials and construction methods. On January 10, 2020, TT1 was tested to failure as part of an ambient temperature test, reaching a pressure of 7.1 bar (103 psi).^[354][356]

Test Tank 2 (TT2) was another subscale test tank similar to TT1. On January 27, 2020, TT2 underwent an ambient temperature pressure test where it reached a pressure of 7.5 bar (109 psi) before a leak occurred.^[357] Two days later, it underwent a cryogenic proof test to destruction, bursting at 8.5 bar (123 psi).^{[358][355][359]}

GSE 4.1 was first spotted in August 2021 and was the first ground support equipment (GSE) test tank built, made from parts of GSE 4.^[360] It underwent a cryogenic proof test in August 2021 before it was rolled to the Sanchez site.^[361] It was rolled back to the launch site in November 2021, where it underwent an apparent cryogenic proof test to failure on January 18, 2022, where it burst at an unknown pressure.^[362]

EDOME was a test tank created to test flatter domes, possibly used on future Starship prototypes. It was moved to the launch site in July 2022, and then back to the production site the next month, after undergoing no tests.^[363] It was later moved from the production site to the Massey's test site in late September 2022, where it was damaged during a cryogenic pressure test to failure.^[363] After repairs, it was tested to destruction in late October 2022.^[363]

EDOME 2 was a test tank which is likely designed to continue testing a flatter dome design. As of October 4, 2023, its official designation is unknown. It was tested once, before being scrapped for unknown reasons.^[364]

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