List of Starship launches

This article is about launches of the Starship vehicle. For the suborbital flight tests of the upper stage, see List of Starship upper stage flight tests.

Since April 2023, the SpaceX Starship has been launched 8 times, with 4 successes and 4 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 also one of two landing systems selected by NASA for the Artemis program's crewed Lunar missions.

SpaceX Starship during Starship flight test 2

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 three versions of Starship: Block 1, (also known as Starship 1, Version 1, or V1) which is retired, Block 2, which first flew in Starship flight test 7, and Block 3, which is still in development. As of January 2025, 6 Block 1 vehicles and 2 Block 2 vehicles have flown;^[5] with the last Block 1 ship completing its mission in November 2024 (Starship flight test 6).^[6] 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.^[7] This capability was first demonstrated during Starship's fifth flight test, using a Block 1 booster.^[8]

Launch statistics

Starship vehicles have been launched 8 times, resulting in 4 successes (50%), and 4 failures. Starship Block 1 was launched six times between April 2023 and November 2024, with Block 1 vehicles being retired ahead of the seventh flight.^[9] Block 2 boosters are expected to fly further into the future.^[10]

Launch sites

1

2

3

4

2023

2024

2025

2026

•   Starbase, OLP-A
•   Starbase, OLP-B
•   Kennedy, LC-39A

Launch outcomes

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

2023

2024

2025

2026

•   Failure
•   Partial failure
•   Success
•   Planned

Booster landings

1

2

3

4

2023

2024

2025

2026

•   Precluded
•   Ocean failure
•   Tower failure
•   Tower abort
•   Ocean success^[i]
•   Tower success
•   No attempt

Ship landings

1

2

3

4

2023

2024

2025

2026

•   Precluded
•   Ocean failure
•   Tower failure
•   Tower abort
•   Ocean success^[i]
•   Tower success
•   No attempt

Booster Version

1

2

3

4

2023

2024

2025

2026

•   Block 1
•   Block 2
•   Block 3

Ship Version

1

2

3

4

2023

2024

2025

2026

•   Block 1
•   Block 2
•   Block 3
•   Depot
•   Starship HLS
•   Starship Crew

1. Any controlled flight to water, no recovery

Past launches

2023

Flight No.	Date and time (UTC)	Version, booster	Version, ship	Launch site	Payload	Payload mass	Orbit	Customer	Launch outcome	Booster landing	Ship landing
1	April 20, 2023 13:33:09[11]	Block 1 B7	Block 1 S24	Starbase, OLP-A	—	—	Transatmospheric[12]	SpaceX	Failure[a]	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.[15] SpaceX declared this flight a success, as their primary goal was to only clear the pad.[16] The launch resulted in extensive damage to the orbital launch mount and the infrastructures around it, including the propellant tank farm.[17]
2	November 18, 2023 13:02:50[18]	Block 1 B9	Block 1 S25	Starbase, OLP-A	—	—	Transatmospheric[19]	SpaceX	Failure[a]	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.[20] An energetic failure of one engine caused the booster to explode.[20] The upper stage ascended nominally for another six minutes.[21] 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, causing full engine shutdown,[20] after which the flight termination system successfully destroyed the ship as it reached an altitude of ~148 km and velocity of ~24,000 km/h.[20]

1. SpaceX declared success^[13][14]

2024

Flight No.	Date and time (UTC)	Version, booster	Version, ship	Launch site	Payload	Payload mass	Orbit	Customer	Launch outcome	Booster landing	Ship landing
3	March 14, 2024 13:25:00[22]	Block 1 B10	Block 1 S28	Starbase, OLP-A	—	—	Suborbital[23]	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.[24][25] The booster successfully propelled the spacecraft to staging, with 13 engines successfully 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.[25] The booster malfunctions were attributed to continuing filter blockage issues.[26] The spacecraft trajectory was suborbital, with a 234 km (145 mi) apogee and −50 km (−31 mi) perigee,[27] although the ship did reach orbital speed.[28] 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.[27] 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[29]	Block 1 B11	Block 1 S29	Starbase, OLP-A	—	—	Suborbital[30]	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 still managed to perform in accordance to its flight profile and conduct a successful controlled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico[31] on a "virtual tower", in preparation for a catch by the launch tower during Flight 5.[32] The spacecraft performed a successful reentry despite severe forward flap damage and conducted a successful controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean,[33] within the target region but 6 kilometers from the center.[34]
5	October 13, 2024 12:25:00[35]	Block 1 B12	Block 1 S30	Starbase, OLP-A	—	—	Suborbital[36]	SpaceX	Success	Success (OLP-A)	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 successfully caught by the launch tower arms despite damage to a chine during descent. Following a coast phase, Ship 30 reentered the atmosphere, performed a successful reentry despite forward flap damage, and executed a landing burn, splashing down precisely at its target in the Indian Ocean. A buoy camera captured Ship 30 exploding shortly after contact with the water.[8]
6	November 19, 2024 22:00:00[37]	Block 1 B13	Block 1 S31	Starbase, OLP-A	Plush banana	Un­known	Transatmospheric[38]	SpaceX	Success	Controlled (gulf) Abort (OLP‑A)	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 stuffed banana serving as the zero-gravity indicator, which remained onboard throughout the mission.[39]

2025

Flight No.	Date and time (UTC)	Version, booster	Version, ship	Launch site	Payload	Payload mass	Orbit	Customer	Launch outcome	Booster landing	Ship landing
7	January 16, 2025 22:37:00[40]	Block 2 B14‑1[41]	Block 2 S33[9]	Starbase, OLP-A	10 Starlink simulator satellites[42]	~20,000 kg (44,000 lb)[43][44]	Transatmospheric[45]	SpaceX	Failure	Success (OLP-A)	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.[46] It marked the inaugural flight of a Block 2 Ship, featuring structural, avionics, and other upgrades.[9] The mission also aimed to test the deployment system for 10 Starlink 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.[47] The vehicle subsequently exploded over the Turks and Caicos Islands, prompting airspace closures in the region for over an hour.[48] 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.[47] The booster successfully returned to the launch site, where it was caught by the launch tower arms on OLP-A, becoming the second booster recovered after B12, as well as the first booster to be recovered without noticeable damage to the chines.[48]
8	March 6, 2025 23:31:02[49]	Block 2 B15‑1[46]	Block 2 S34[41]	Starbase, OLP-A	4 Starlink simulator satellites[49]	~8,000 kg (18,000 lb)[49]	Transatmospheric	SpaceX	Failure	Success (OLP-A)	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.[49]

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.

2025

In a talk in November 2024, Starbase General Manager Kathy Lueders announced that SpaceX wants to catch a Starship upper stage sometime in the next 6 months and have 25 launches in 2025.^[51]

Date and time (UTC)	Version, booster	Version, ship	Launch site	Payload	Orbit	Customer
May 27, 2025 23:30[52]	Block 2 B14-2[53]	Block 2 S35[54]	Starbase, OLP-A	8 Starlink simulator satellites[52]	Transatmospheric	SpaceX
	Flight 9's flight profile will be similar to Flight 8, with the ship targeting a hard splashdown in the Indian Ocean after deploying 8 Starlink simulators. However, the booster will target a splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico, while simulating a center engine failure. Flight 9 will feature the first reuse of a booster, as well as the reflight of 29 engines.[52]
2025	Unknown	Unknown	Starbase	—	LEO	NASA
	Launch of the Starship target for the propellant transfer demonstration mission.[55]
2025	Unknown	Unknown	Starbase	Propellant	LEO	NASA
	Launch of the Starship chaser for the propellant transfer demonstration mission. Launch will be 3-4 weeks after target Starship launch, using the same launch pad.[55]

2026

Date and time (UTC)	Version, booster	Version, ship	Launch site	Payload	Orbit	Customer
2026[56]	Unknown	Depot[57]	TBA	Propellant Depot	LEO	NASA
	SpaceX will launch a depot to store propellant for HLS flights.[57] As of November 2024, it is unknown whether the depot will support multiple missions.
2026[56]	Unknown	Unknown	TBA	Propellant	LEO	NASA
	Tanker launch for HLS demo. At least one tanker will be needed for most launches beyond LEO.[58]
2026[56]	Unknown	HLS	TBA	Uncrewed Lunar Demo[59]	NRHO, Lunar surface	NASA
	NASA's demonstration mission for the Human Landing System prior to Artemis 3, announced in April 2021. For this mission, SpaceX attempts to land a Starship HLS on the Moon. (Before this, an unknown number of successful refueling flights will be required, estimated to be in the high teens.[60])
2026[6]	Unknown	Unknown	TBA	Uncrewed Mars Demo[6][61]	Martian surface	SpaceX
	SpaceX plans to launch around five Starship upper stages to Mars in the 2026 Mars transfer window.[61] The Ships would attempt to land on an unspecified location on the Martian surface upon arrival at Mars, as part of their iterative and incremental cycle of development.[6]
December 2026[62]	Unknown	HLS	TBA	Astrolab FLEX rover[63] Possible rideshare	Lunar surface	Astrolab
	Flexible Logistics and Exploration (FLEX) rover will include 1,000 kilograms of customer payloads.

2027 and beyond

Date and time (UTC)	Version, booster	Version, ship	Launch site	Payload	Orbit	Customer
2027[64]	Unknown	Unknown	TBA	Superbird-9[65]	GTO	SKY Perfect JSAT
	Superbird-9 is a SKY Perfect JSAT's fully flexible HTS (High Throughput Satellites) based on Airbus' OneSat product line.
2027[66]	Unknown	HLS	TBA	ISRU Processing System[66] 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 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.[66] An unknown number of refueling flights, estimated to be in the high teens, will be required.[60]
Mid 2027[67]	Unknown	HLS	TBA	Crewed Lunar Demo[68]	NRHO, Lunar surface	NASA
	Artemis III 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.[60]
2028[69]	Unknown	HLS	TBA	Sustaining Crewed Lunar Demo[70]	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.[70] An unknown number of refueling flights, estimated to be in the high teens, will be required.[60]
2028[71]	Unknown	Unknown	TBA	Starlab[71]	LEO	Voyager Space/Airbus
	Starlab is a planned commercial space station.
2029[72]	Unknown	HLS	TBA	Eagle Rover[73] Possible rideshare	Lunar surface	Lunar Outpost[74]
	The Eagle Rover has been selected by NASA for study as a Lunar Terrain Vehicle.[75]
2030[76]	Unknown	Unknown	TBA	Haven-2 Core Module	LEO	VAST
	Launch of Haven-2 Core module.[77]
2032[78]	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.[79]
2035[80]	Unknown	Unknown	TBA	Vast artificial gravity station Module 1	LEO	VAST
	First module for Vast's 100 m spinning artificial gravity station.[81]
2035[80]	Unknown	Unknown	TBA	Vast artificial gravity station Module 2	LEO	VAST
	Second module for Vast's artificial gravity station.[81]
2035[80]	Unknown	Unknown	TBA	Vast artificial gravity station Module 3	LEO	VAST
	Third module for Vast's artificial gravity station.[81]
2035[80]	Unknown	Unknown	TBA	Vast artificial gravity station Module 4	LEO	VAST
	Fourth module for Vast's artificial gravity station.[81]
2035[80]	Unknown	Unknown	TBA	Vast artificial gravity station Module 5	LEO	VAST
	Fifth module for Vast's artificial gravity station.[81]
2035[80]	Unknown	Unknown	TBA	Vast artificial gravity station Module 6	LEO	VAST
	Sixth module for Vast's artificial gravity station.[81]
TBA	Unknown	Crew	TBA	Polaris III	TBA	Jared Isaacman
	Polaris III will be the first crewed launch on Starship.[82] It is not expected to occur until Starship has flown at least 100 successful cargo flights, though this is not a firm requirement.[83] This is the final flight of the Polaris Program.[84][85]

See also

• List of Starship upper stage flight tests
• List of Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches
• List of Space Launch System launches
• List of Super Heavy boosters
• List of Starship vehicles