SpaceX Starship Test Flights: From the First Launch to Orbit

Attempt to tow the Flight 13 ship to shore fails in rough seas

Two weeks after splashdown SpaceX was still trying to guide the 52-metre ship to port in Western Australia when Musk said recovery was not looking good; the team had already photographed critical parts of the heatshield and engines up close. The ship's survival of the splashdown prompted talk of catching a ship at the tower on a coming flight.

• Space.com · Aug 7, 2026 · "Unfortunately, ship recovery is not looking good right now. Nonetheless, we were able to obtain close-up photos of critical regions of the heat shield and engines for future upgrades," Musk wrote this afternoon via X, the social media site he owns.

NASA specifies V3 lander test article for Artemis III

NASA said the 2027 Artemis III Earth-orbit demonstration would use a Starship Version 3 lander test article with a nose docking system. The test would evaluate Orion and Starship interactions during rendezvous and docking operations.

• NASA · Jul 15, 2026 · SpaceX’s Starship lander test article will use a Starship Version 3, currently in production and testing, with an added docking system installed on the nose of the 171-foot (52-m) spacecraft, enabling NASA and SpaceX to evaluate how the entire integrated stack of Orion and the Starship test lander interact.

Editor's note: The NASA page, published July 15, 2026, states that Artemis III's 2027 demonstration will use a Starship Version 3 test article with a nose-mounted docking system. It says the mission will evaluate Orion–Starship integrated-stack interactions during rendezvous and docking operations.

FAA closes the Flight 12 booster mishap investigation, clearing Flight 13

On May 27 the FAA had determined that the loss of the Super Heavy booster on its return during Flight 12 was a mishap requiring an investigation. On July 13 it accepted SpaceX's final report, which identified heat effects on propulsion components and engine-alarm settings as probable causes, and said SpaceX could proceed with Flight 13 once licensing requirements were met.

• Federal Aviation Administration · Jul 13, 2026 · SpaceX can proceed with Starship Flight 13 launch operations provided all safety and other licensing requirements are met.
• Federal Aviation Administration · May 27, 2026 · After a thorough assessment of the operation, the FAA has determined the May 22 SpaceX Starship Flight 12 launch resulted in a mishap.

Editor's note: The FAA page contains a July 13, 2026 statement closing the SpaceX Starship Flight 12 mishap investigation and allowing Flight 13 operations subject to safety and licensing requirements. It identifies heat effects on propulsion-system components and erroneous engine-alarm settings as the two most probable root causes.

NASA OIG reports at least two-year HLS development delay

NASA's Office of Inspector General reported that SpaceX's Artemis III Starship development had been delayed at least two years since the July 2021 contract award. The report identified vehicle-to-vehicle cryogenic-propellant transfer as a major HLS milestone.

• NASA Office of Inspector General · Mar 10, 2026 · Since award of the Appendix H, Option A contract in July 2021, SpaceX’s development of the Artemis III Starship has been delayed at least 2 years, with additional delays expected.

Editor's note: The report is dated March 10, 2026 and contains the quoted statement verbatim. It also describes the vehicle-to-vehicle cryogenic propellant transfer test as Starship's next major milestone.

Flight 11: the last Block 2 Starship and first-generation booster fly a clean mission

The final flight of the second-generation ship and the original booster, and the last from the old Pad 1 configuration, met every objective: a reused booster tested the landing-burn profile planned for the next-generation vehicle, Starship deployed eight Starlink simulators, relit a Raptor, flew a banking manoeuvre to mimic a return to Starbase and splashed down in the Indian Ocean. Attention turned to the V3 vehicles intended for orbital flights, payloads and propellant transfer.

• SpaceX · Oct 13, 2025 · This was the final flight of the second-generation Starship and first generation Super Heavy booster, as well as the final launch from the current configuration of Pad 1.

FAA clears Flight 10 after Flight 9 investigation

The FAA closed the Flight 9 mishap investigation and stated that SpaceX could proceed with Flight 10 launch operations. The regulator identified failure of a fuel component as the probable cause of the Starship loss.

• Federal Aviation Administration · Aug 15, 2025 · SpaceX can now proceed with Starship Flight 10 launch operations under its current license.

responded to FAA opens Flight 9 investigation for Starship loss.

Editor's note: The FAA page states that the Flight 9 mishap investigation was closed, identifies a fuel-component failure as the probable root cause of the Starship loss, and says SpaceX can proceed with Flight 10 under its current license. The statement is dated August 15, 2025.

FAA closes Flight 8 mishap investigation

The FAA closed the Flight 8 mishap investigation after accepting eight corrective actions. The final report attributed the Starship loss to a Raptor hardware failure that caused propellant mixing and ignition.

• Federal Aviation Administration · Jun 12, 2025 · The final mishap report cites the probable root cause for the loss of the Starship vehicle as a hardware failure in one of the raptor engines that resulted in inadvertent propellant mixing and ignition.

responded to Flight 8: third booster catch, Starship lost again after an engine bay event.

Editor's note: The FAA page’s June 12, 2025 statement says the Flight 8 mishap investigation was closed, that the FAA accepted the SpaceX-led investigation findings, and that SpaceX identified eight corrective actions. It contains the quoted root-cause language, including Raptor hardware failure, inadvertent propellant mixing, and ignition.

FAA opens Flight 9 investigation for Starship loss

The FAA required a mishap investigation focused on the Flight 9 Starship loss. It treated the Super Heavy loss as a test-induced-damage exception.

• Federal Aviation Administration · May 30, 2025 · The mishap investigation is focused only on the loss of the Starship vehicle which did not complete its launch or reentry as planned.

was answered by FAA clears Flight 10 after Flight 9 investigation.

Editor's note: The page’s May 30, 2025 statement says the FAA required SpaceX to conduct a mishap investigation for Starship Flight 9. It specifies that the investigation concerned only the Starship loss and that the Super Heavy loss fell under an approved test-induced-damage exception.

Flight 9: first reflown Super Heavy; the booster breaks up in its landing burn and Starship tumbles before reentry

The booster from Flight 7 flew again, the first reuse in the programme, completed a full ascent and a high angle-of-attack descent experiment, then broke up shortly after starting its landing burn over the Gulf. Starship reached space but its payload door would not open, an attitude control failure cancelled the engine relight, and the ship entered the atmosphere out of control and was lost about 46 minutes in. SpaceX later traced the ship failure to a fuel tank pressurisation diffuser and the booster loss to loads on the fuel transfer tube.

• SpaceX · May 27, 2025 · The Super Heavy booster supporting the mission made the first ever reflight in the Starship program, having previously launched on Starship’s seventh flight test in January 2025.

FAA authorizes Flight 9 before Flight 8 closure

The FAA issued a Starship return-to-flight determination and authorized Flight 9 for launch. The Flight 8 investigation had not yet been formally closed.

• Federal Aviation Administration · May 22, 2025 · With the Starship vehicle return to flight determination, Starship Flight 9 is authorized for launch.

Editor's note: The page’s May 22, 2025 statement says the FAA made a Starship return-to-flight determination and authorized Flight 9 for launch. The same page states on May 15 that the Flight 8 investigation remained open and lists its formal closure later, on June 12, 2025.

FAA environmental approval lets SpaceX launch Starship from Starbase 25 times a year

The FAA's final tiered environmental assessment found that raising the Starbase launch cadence from five to 25 a year, with up to 25 landings of each stage, would not significantly affect the human environment, so no environmental impact statement was needed. Up to three launches could be at night, with night landings only offshore. The decision matched a draft issued the previous November.

• Space.com · May 6, 2025 · The report grants SpaceX's request to boost the number of Starship launches from Starbase per year by a factor of five, to 25.

FAA closes Flight 7 mishap investigation

The FAA closed the Flight 7 mishap investigation and accepted 11 SpaceX corrective actions. The final report attributed the Starship loss to flight vibrations that stressed and failed propulsion-system hardware.

• Federal Aviation Administration · Mar 31, 2025 · The final mishap report cites the probable root cause for the loss of the Starship vehicle was stronger than anticipated vibrations during flight led to increased stress on, and failure of, the hardware in the propulsion system.

Editor's note: The page states that the FAA-required Flight 7 investigation was closed on March 28, 2025, accepted the SpaceX-led investigation findings, and that SpaceX identified 11 corrective actions. It gives the quoted probable root cause verbatim.

FAA lets Starship return to flight while the Flight 7 investigation stays open, and licenses Flight 8

After a safety review the FAA determined Starship could return to flight operations while the mishap investigation into the January 16 loss of the Flight 7 ship remained open, and the same day issued a licence modification for Flight 8, covering a Super Heavy tower catch attempt and a Starship water landing in the Indian Ocean. The pattern of flying before an investigation formally closed recurred on later flights.

• Federal Aviation Administration · Feb 26, 2025 · After completing the required and comprehensive safety review, the FAA determined the SpaceX Starship vehicle can return to flight operations while the investigation into the Jan. 16 Starship Flight 7 mishap remains open.
• Federal Aviation Administration · Feb 26, 2025 · The FAA issued a license modification authorizing the SpaceX Starship Flight 8 launch.

responded to Flight 7: second booster catch, but the upgraded Starship is lost and debris falls over Turks and Caicos.

Editor's note: The page states that on Feb. 26 the FAA determined Starship could return to flight while the Flight 7 investigation remained open, following a comprehensive safety review. The quoted language appears on the page.

Flight 7: second booster catch, but the upgraded Starship is lost and debris falls over Turks and Caicos

The first flight of the redesigned Block 2 ship ended after about eight and a half minutes when a fire in the aft section caused the vehicle to break apart, with debris visible from the Turks and Caicos Islands and airliners diverted. The booster was caught by the tower for the second time. SpaceX opened an investigation with the FAA and set up a debris hotline; the FAA required a mishap investigation before the next flight.

• SpaceX · Jan 16, 2025 · Initial data indicates a fire developed in the aft section of the ship, leading to a rapid unscheduled disassembly.

was answered by FAA lets Starship return to flight while the Flight 7 investigation stays open, and licenses Flight 8.

Flight 6: catch aborted by tower health checks, first in-space Raptor relight, daylight splashdown

Automated health checks on the launch and catch tower aborted the second catch attempt, so the booster diverted to a soft splashdown in the Gulf. Starship reignited a Raptor engine in space for the first time, a prerequisite for deorbit burns on orbital missions, flew a more aggressive angle of attack through the subsonic phase and splashed down in the Indian Ocean in daylight. President-elect Trump watched the launch with Musk at Starbase.

• SpaceX · Nov 19, 2024 · During this phase, automated health checks of critical hardware on the launch and catch tower triggered an abort of the catch attempt.

Flight 4: both stages survive to soft splashdowns; Starship lives through reentry with a burning flap

The fourth flight was the first in which both stages completed their missions: Super Heavy performed a landing burn and soft splashdown in the Gulf seven and a half minutes in, and Starship came through peak heating with a visibly damaged forward flap, kept control, flipped, lit its three centre engines and splashed down in the Indian Ocean an hour and six minutes after launch.

• SpaceX · Jun 6, 2024 · Flight 4 ended with Starship igniting its three center Raptor engines and executing the first flip maneuver and landing burn since our suborbital campaign, followed by a soft splashdown of the ship in the Indian Ocean one hour and six minutes after launch.

FAA permits Starship return during Flight 3 investigation

The FAA determined Starship could return to flight operations while the Flight 3 investigation remained open. The determination remained subject to other license requirements.

• Federal Aviation Administration · May 24, 2024 · This public safety determination means the Starship vehicle may return to flight operations while the overall investigation remains open, provided all other license requirements are met.

responded to Flight 3: Starship completes its ascent burn, opens the payload door and reenters for the first time before breaking up.

Editor's note: The FAA page states that, after its review, Starship could return to flight while the Flight 3 investigation remained open, subject to all other license requirements. It says the FAA notified SpaceX of the positive determination on May 24, 2024.

Flight 2: all 33 engines burn to staging, hot-staging works, both stages are lost

On the second flight all 33 Raptors ran through a full-duration ascent for the first time, the new hot-staging separation succeeded, and the ship reached about 150 km and 24,000 km/h, the first Starship in space. The booster broke up during its boostback burn about three and a half minutes in, and the ship's flight ended when telemetry was lost near the end of its burn after more than eight minutes, with the flight termination system triggered. The new water-cooled flame deflector protected the pad.

• SpaceX · Nov 18, 2023 · Starship's six second stage Raptor engines all started successfully and powered the vehicle to an altitude of ~150 km and a velocity of ~24,000 km/h, becoming the first Starship to reach outer space and nearly completing its full-duration burn.

FAA closes the Flight 1 mishap investigation with 63 corrective actions before a second launch

The FAA said SpaceX must implement every corrective action affecting public safety and obtain a licence modification before flying again; the actions included hardware redesigns to prevent leaks and fires, a more robust launch pad, extra design reviews, more testing of the autonomous flight safety system and tighter change control. SpaceX, which had already stacked Ship 25 on Booster 9, said it had built a hot-staging separation system and electric thrust vector control for the next flight. The licence came on November 15.

• Spaceflight Now · Sep 8, 2023 · “SpaceX must implement all corrective actions that impact public safety and apply for and receive a license modification from the FAA that addresses all safety, environmental and other applicable regulatory requirements prior to the next Starship launch,” the FAA said in a statement.

FAA completes Starbase environmental review

The FAA published its Final Programmatic Environmental Assessment for Starship/Super Heavy operations at Boca Chica. It issued a mitigated Finding of No Significant Impact/Record of Decision and required mitigation measures for future licenses or permits.

• Federal Aviation Administration · Jun 13, 2022 · The FAA determined that the Proposed Action would not result in significant environmental consequences and has issued a Mitigated Finding of No Significant Impact/Record of Decision (FONSI/ROD).

Editor's note: The page states that the FAA published the Final PEA and Mitigated FONSI/ROD for the Boca Chica Starship/Super Heavy program on June 13, 2022. It also contains the quoted determination and says required mitigation measures would be conditions for any future license or permit.