Starship flight test 10
| Mission type | Flight test |
|---|---|
| Operator | SpaceX |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Starship Ship 36[1] |
| Spacecraft type | Starship (Block 2) |
| Manufacturer | SpaceX |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | NET June 2025[2] |
| Rocket | Super Heavy (Block 2, B16-1)[3] |
| Launch site | Starbase, OLP-A |
| End of mission | |
| Landing site |
|
Starship flight test 10 will be the tenth flight test of a SpaceX Starship launch vehicle. Ship 36 and Booster 16 will fly on this test flight.[4][5] As of May 2025, the flight profile is unknown. Because of incidents during Flight 9, it is likely Flight 10's ship will land in the Indian Ocean, but a landing at Starbase is possible.[6]
Background
[edit]Vehicle testing ahead of launch
[edit]Ship 36
[edit]Ship 36 was assembled in Mega Bay 2 throughout February and March 2025.[7] It was rolled out to the Massey's test site for cryogenic testing on April 26.[8][9] It conducted a full cryogenic test on April 27.[10] It was rolled back to Mega Bay 2 for engine installation on April 29.[11]
Booster 16
[edit]Booster 16 conducted a cryogenic test on February 28,[12] before being rolled back to the production site on March 20 for engine installation.[13] It rolled out to the launch site on June 3 for static fire testing.[14] On June 5 B16 attempted a static fire test, but the test was aborted shortly before commencement, and the Booster was de-tanked.[15]
Impact of Flights 7, 8 and 9
[edit]SpaceX has suffered a succession of flight test failures since Flight 7.[16][17] During Flight 7 on January 16, 2025, initial data indicated that a fire occurred mid-flight, resulting in the destruction of the vehicle. The failures resulted in a U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigation that delayed Flight 8.[18][19]
During Flight 8, four engines shut down approximately 30 seconds before the planned SECO, resulting in loss of control, telemetry, and subsequent vehicle burnout.[20] The FAA opened an investigation into the crash,[21] but on May 22, the FAA determined that the Flight 8 failure did not impact public safety.[22]
On Flight 9, the vehicle reached its intended trajectory, but several failures occurred, including a loss of attitude control, which prevented Starship from achieving most of its objectives, and it disintegrated during reentry.[16][17] It is not known at this time whether the failure in Flight 9 could affect the schedule of subsequent tests.
References
[edit]- ^ Weber, Ryan (January 29, 2025). "Following Flight 7 SpaceX line up future Starships". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved April 6, 2025.
- ^ Musk, Elon (May 27, 2025). "Launch cadence for next 3 flights will be faster, at approximately 1 every 3 to 4 weeks". Retrieved May 28, 2025 – via Twitter.
- ^ NASASpaceflight (June 2, 2025). "🚀 SECO Achieved + Elon Musk's 2026 Mars Plan! | Starbase Update". Retrieved June 2, 2025 – via YouTube.
- ^ Weber, Ryan (January 29, 2025). "Following Flight 7 SpaceX line up future Starships". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved April 6, 2025.
- ^ NASASpaceflight (April 21, 2025). Starship Flight 9 Preps, Chopstick Testing, and Pad B Progress | Starbase Update. Event occurs at 4:10. Retrieved April 22, 2025 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Raptorside Replay: April 3rd, 2025". YouTube. April 3, 2025. Retrieved April 5, 2025.
- ^ NASASpaceflight (March 18, 2025). Despite Flight 8's Failure, SpaceX Races Ahead Towards Mars | Starbase Update. Event occurs at 17:00. Retrieved March 20, 2025 – via YouTube.
- ^ NASASpaceflight (April 28, 2025). Wait that's Ship 36 | Starbase Update. Retrieved April 29, 2025 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Making the turn into Masseys". X (formerly Twitter). April 26, 2025. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
- ^ Priel, Elisar (April 27, 2025). "Starship S36 got straight to work following its arrival to Masseys the day before, undergoing a complete cryo test. while from the @NASASpaceflight cameras it looked nominal, it remains to be seen if further tests will be performed prior to its rollback". Twitter. Retrieved April 28, 2025.
- ^ Priel, Elisar (April 29, 2025). "Ship 36 rolling back right now at Starbase @NASASpaceflight". Retrieved April 29, 2025.
- ^ Priel, Elisar [@ENNEPS] (March 1, 2025). "Starship Booster 16 got to work quickly after arriving to Massey's early in morning performing a multi hour partial cryo test well into the night. Next up should be a full cryo test before returning home to Mega Bay 1 for some engines" (Tweet). Retrieved March 1, 2025 – via Twitter.
- ^ NASASpaceflight (March 23, 2025). The Final Days of the Starbase High Bay | SpaceX Boca Chica. Event occurs at 4:15. Retrieved March 24, 2025 – via YouTube.
- ^ LabPadre (June 4, 2025). "Wow! Just a week after Flight-9, Booster 16 is on the way to static fire testing and Ship 37 returns to Megabay for engine installation". Retrieved June 4, 2025.
- ^ NASASpaceflight (June 5, 2025). SpaceX Performs Static Fire of Booster 16 for Starship Flight 10. Retrieved June 5, 2025 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b "Elon Musk's SpaceX Starship Explodes Again But Orbits For 46 Minutes". Forbes.com. May 27, 2025. Retrieved May 27, 2025.
- ^ a b "EAfter back-to-back explosions, new SpaceX mega rocket Starship tumbles out of control and breaks into pieces". Fortune.com. May 27, 2025. Retrieved May 27, 2025.
- ^ "New Year. New Ship. New Lessons". SpaceX.com. February 24, 2025. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
- ^ Dunn, Marcia (January 16, 2025). "SpaceX Suspects Fire During Starship Flight 7 Linked to Pressure Issues". Associated Press. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
- ^ Wall, Mike (March 7, 2025). "Watch fiery SpaceX Starship Flight 8 debris rain down over The Bahamas (video)". Space.com. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
- ^ Pearlman, Robert Z. (March 8, 2025). "FAA investigating SpaceX Starship Flight 8 explosion that disrupted commercial flights". Space.com. Retrieved March 10, 2025.
- ^ Beil, Adrian (May 22, 2025). "The @FAANews has given the go for flight 9 of Starship". Twitter. Retrieved May 22, 2025.