Starship
Starship prototype SN20 at the suborbital 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.
ManufacturerSpaceX
Country of originUnited States
OperatorSpaceX
Applications
Websitewww.spacex.com/vehicles/starship/
Specifications
Spacecraft typeCrewed, reusable
Launch mass1,300 t (2,866,000 lb)[lower-alpha 1]
Dry mass~100 t (220,000 lb)[2]
Crew capacityUp to 100 (planned)
Volume1,000 m3 (35,000 cu ft)
Dimensions
Height50 m (160 ft)
Diameter9 m (30 ft)
Wingspan17 m (56 ft)
Capacity
Payload to LEO[1]
MassReusable: 100–150 t
(220,000–331,000 lb)
Expendable: Up to 250 t (551,000 lb)
Production
StatusIn development
Launched2
Retired2
Failed1 (IFT-2)
Lost1 (IFT-1)
Maiden launchApril 20, 2023
Related spacecraft
DerivativesStarship HLS
Flown withSpaceX Super Heavy
Starship
Powered by3 Raptor engines
3 Raptor vacuum engines
Maximum thrust1,500 tf (14,700 kN; 3,310,000 lbf)
Specific impulse327 s (3.21 km/s) (sea-level)
363 s (3.56 km/s) (vacuum)[3]
PropellantLiquid oxygen / Methane

Starship is a spacecraft and second stage[1] under development by American aerospace company SpaceX. Stacked atop its booster, Super Heavy, it composes the identically named Starship super heavy-lift space vehicle. The spacecraft is designed to transport both crew and cargo to a variety of destinations, including Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and potentially beyond. It is intended to enable long duration interplanetary flights for a crew of up to 100 people.[1] 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, the spacecraft will be used to refuel other Starship vehicles to allow them to reach higher orbits to and other space destinations. Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, estimated in a tweet that 8 launches would be needed to completely refuel a Starship in low Earth orbit, extrapolating this from Starship's payload to orbit and how much fuel a fully fueled Starship contains.[4] To land on bodies without an atmosphere, such as the Moon, Starship will fire its engines and thrusters to slow down.[5]

Development began in 2012, when Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, 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.[6] The SN15 prototype became the first full-size test spacecraft to take off and land successfully in May 2021.[7] On April 20, 2023, Ship 24 and Booster 7 lifted off the pad, the first time the booster and Starship flew together as a fully integrated stack. On November 18, 2023, Ship 25 and Booster 9 lifted off the pad, successfully completing hot staging, during the launch, Ship 25 passed the Karman Line, becoming the first Starship to reach space, and also became the heaviest single object in space, before exploding at 148 km.[8][9][10][11][12]

History

In November 2005, before SpaceX had launched its first rocket the Falcon 1, CEO Elon Musk first mentioned a long-term and high-capacity rocket concept able to launch 100 tons to low Earth orbit, dubbed the BFR. Later in 2012, Elon Musk first publicly announced plans to develop a rocket surpassing the capabilities of their existing Falcon 9. SpaceX called it the Mars Colonial Transporter, as the rocket was to transport humans to Mars and back.

In 2016, Elon changed the name to Interplanetary Transport System, as he planned the rocket to travel beyond Mars. Made of carbon fiber, this design was to mass over 10,000 tons when fueled and carry 300 tonnes to low Earth orbit, while hoping to be fully reusable. By 2017, the rocket was temporarily re-dubbed the BFR and had multiple versions announced, such as cargo, tanker and crew. In 2019, the current stainless-steel design was adopted.

Design

The Starship spacecraft is 50 m (160 ft) tall, 9 m (30 ft) in diameter, and has 6 Raptor engines, 3 of which are optimized for usage in outer space.[13][14] Future vehicles may have an additional 3 Raptor Vacuum engines for increased payload capacity. The vehicle'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 ISS's pressurized volume.[15] SpaceX will also provide a 22 m (72 ft) tall payload bay configuration for even larger payloads.[16]

Starship has a total propellant capacity of 1,200 t (2,600,000 lb)[17] across its main tanks and header tanks.[18] The header tanks are better insulated due to their position and are reserved for use to flip and land the spacecraft following reentry.[19] A set of reaction control thrusters, which use the pressure in the fuel tank, control attitude while in space.[20]

The spacecraft has four body flaps to control the spacecraft's orientation and help dissipate energy during atmospheric entry,[21] composed of two forward flaps and two aft flaps. 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).[22]: 1  Under the forward flaps, hardpoints are used for lifting and catching the spacecraft via mechanical arms.[23] The flap's hinges are sealed in aero-covers because they would be easily damaged during reentry.[2]

Starship's heat shield, composed of thousands[24] of hexagonal black tiles that can withstand temperatures of 1,400 °C (2,600 °F),[25][26] is designed to be used many times without maintenance between flights.[27] The tiles are made of silica[28] and are attached with pins rather than glued,[26] with small gaps in between to counteract heat expansion.[2] Their hexagonal shape facilitates mass production[2] and prevents hot plasma from causing severe damage to the vehicle.

Diagram of Starship's internal structure. Not shown in this diagram are the flaps: the aft flaps are placed at the bottom (or left in this orientation), and the forward flaps are placed at the top (here, right) portion of the spaceship. From the FAA environmental reassessment.

Variants

Starship's heat shield under inspection

For satellite launch, Starship will have a large cargo door that will open to release payloads and close upon reentry instead of a more conventional 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.[16] To deploy Starlink satellites, the cargo door will be replaced with a slot and dispenser rack, whose mechanism has been compared to a Pez candy dispenser.[29]

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".[16] Starship's life support system is expected to recycle resources such as air and water from waste.[30]

Starship Human Landing System (HLS) is a crewed lunar lander variant of the Starship vehicle that is extensively modified for landing, operation, and takeoff from the lunar surface. It features modified landing legs, a body-mounted solar array, a set of thrusters mounted mid-body to assist with final landing and takeoff, two airlocks, and an elevator to lower crew and cargo onto the lunar surface. Starship HLS will be able to land more than 100 t (220,000 lb) of payload on the Moon per flight.[31]

Starship will be able to be refueled by docking with separately launched Starship propellant tanker spacecraft in orbit. Doing so would increase the spacecraft's mass capacity and allow it to reach higher-energy targets,[lower-alpha 2] such as geosynchronous orbit, the Moon, and Mars.[32] A Starship propellant depot could cache methane and oxygen on-orbit and will be used by Starship HLS to replenish its fuel tanks.[33]

Development

Videos of Starship flight tests
From NASASpaceFlight.com and SpaceX
video icon Starhopper 150m hop
video icon Starship SN5 150m hop
video icon Starship SN6 150m hop
video icon Starship SN8 12.5km test flight
video icon Starship SN9 10km test flight
video icon Starship SN10 10km test flight
video icon Starship SN11 10km test flight
video icon Starship SN15 10km test flight
video icon Starship S24/B7 integrated test flight
video icon Starship S25/B9 integrated test flight

Starship's development is iterative and incremental, using frequent—and often destructive— tests on a series of rocket prototypes.[34][26][35]

SpaceX prototypes are subjected to many tests before they can be launched. Proof pressure tests come first. 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. The engines were tested in later prototypes, while the vehicle remained tethered to the ground (static fire). After passing these tests vehicles launch, either flying within the atmosphere, or reaching orbit.[36]: 15–19 

List of Starship prototypes
Name First spotted[lower-alpha 3] First static fire Maiden flight Decommissioned Construction site Status Flights
Starhopper December 2018[37] April 3, 2019[38] July 25, 2019[39] August 2019[40] Boca Chica, Texas Repurposed[41][42] 2
Mk1 December 2018[43] — — November 20, 2019[44] Boca Chica, Texas Destroyed 0
Mk2 May 2019[45] — — November 2019[46][47] Cocoa, Florida Scrapped 0
Mk3/SN1 c. October 2019[48] — — February 28, 2020[49] Boca Chica, Texas Destroyed 0
Mk4 c. September 2019[48] — — November 2019[46][50] Cocoa, Florida Scrapped 0
SN3 March 2020[51] — — April 3, 2020[52] Boca Chica, Texas Destroyed 0
SN4 April 2020[53][54] May 5, 2020[55] — May 29, 2020[56] Boca Chica, Texas Destroyed 0
SN5 April 2020[54] July 27, 2020[57] August 4, 2020[58] February 2021[59] Boca Chica, Texas Scrapped 1
SN6 May 2020[60][61] August 23, 2020[62] September 3, 2020[63] January 2021[64][59] Boca Chica, Texas Scrapped 1
SN8 July 2020[65] October 20, 2020 December 9, 2020[66] December 9, 2020[66] Boca Chica, Texas Destroyed 1
SN9 August 2020[67] January 6, 2021[68] February 2, 2021[68] February 2, 2021[68] Boca Chica, Texas Destroyed 1
SN10 September 2020[69] February 23, 2021[70] March 3, 2021[71] March 3, 2021[71] Boca Chica, Texas Destroyed[lower-alpha 4] 1
SN11 September 2020[72] March 22, 2021[73] March 30, 2021[74] March 30, 2021 Boca Chica, Texas Destroyed 1
SN12 September 2020[75] — — February 2021[76] Boca Chica, Texas Scrapped[lower-alpha 5][76] 0
SN13 October 2020[79] — — February 2021[76] Boca Chica, Texas Scrapped[76] 0
SN14 October 2020[80] — — February 2021[76] Boca Chica, Texas Scrapped[76] 0
SN15 November 2020[81] April 26, 2021[82][83] May 5, 2021[84] May 31, 2021 Boca Chica, Texas Scrapped 1
SN16/Ship 16 December 2020[85] — — May 10, 2022 Boca Chica, Texas Scrapped[86] 0
SN17 December 2020[87] — — May 2021 Boca Chica, Texas Scrapped[88] 0
SN18 January 2021[89] — — June 2021 Boca Chica, Texas Scrapped 0
SN19 February 2021[90] — — June 2021 Boca Chica, Texas Scrapped 0
SN20/Ship 20 March 2021[91] October 21, 2021 — — Boca Chica, Texas Retired at the Rocket Garden[92] 0
Ship 21 July 3, 2021[93] — — — Boca Chica, Texas Scrapped 0
Ship 22 September 2021 — — — Boca Chica, Texas Scrapped[94] 0
Ship 23 October 2021 — — — Boca Chica, Texas Scrapped 0
Ship 24 November 2021 August 9, 2022[95] April 20, 2023 April 20, 2023 Boca Chica, Texas Destroyed 1
Ship 25 March 2022 June 26, 2023[96] November 18, 2023 November 18, 2023 Boca Chica, Texas Destroyed 1
Ship 26 May 2022 October 20, 2023[97] Not yet Not yet Boca Chica, Texas Potentially Retired, at the Rocket Garden 0
Ship 27 June 2022 — — July 20, 2023[98] Boca Chica, Texas Scrapped, converted into a test article 0
Ship 28 July 2022 December 20, 2023[99] Not yet Not yet Boca Chica, Texas In the High Bay 0
Ship 29 July 2022[100] Not yet Not yet Not yet Boca Chica, Texas In Mega Bay 2, awaiting lift onto Engine Installation stand 1 0
Ship 30 September 2022 Not yet Not yet Not yet Boca Chica, Texas At Production Site, awaiting engine installation 0
Ship 31 August 2022 Not yet Not yet Not yet Boca Chica, Texas In the High Bay 0
Ship 32 February 2023 Not yet Not yet Not yet Boca Chica, Texas At the Rocket Garden 0
Ship 33 October 2023[101] — — November 2023[102] Boca Chica, Texas Scrapped[102] 0
Ship 34 ? Not yet Not yet Not yet Boca Chica, Texas Under Construction 0
Ship 35 ? Not yet Not yet Not yet Boca Chica, Texas Under Construction 0
Ship 36 ? Not yet Not yet Not yet Boca Chica, Texas Under Construction 0
Ship 37 ? Not yet Not yet Not yet Boca Chica, Texas Under Construction 0
  1. ↑ Launch mass is the total of the propellant capacity (1,200 tonnes)[1] and approximate dry mass (100 tonnes).
  2. ↑ Synonymous with increasing the delta-v budget of the spacecraft.
  3. ↑ May just be a part rather than complete vehicle.
  4. ↑ Landed successfully after 10 km test flight, but exploded during vehicle safing procedures on landing pad
  5. ↑ Never completed as flight vehicle. Repurposed as a structural testing unit in March 2021[77][78]

Starhopper

Starhopper in March 2019
Starhopper configuration as flown in August 2019

Construction on the initial steel test article—Starship Hopper,[103] Hopper, Hoppy, or Starhopper[104]—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 LOX and liquid methane fuel. Starhopper was repurposed after it completed its testing campaign as a water tank, weather station and equipment mount, it was outfitted with cameras, lights, loudspeakers and a radar system.[105]

Testing

It passed tanking tests, wet dress rehearsals, and pre-burner tests.[106] A storm blew over and damaged Starhopper's nose cone. SpaceX continued testing without one.[106]

It then passed a static fire test,[107] and in a tethered test reached 1 meter altitude.[108][109][106] On July 25, 2019 a Starhopper test flight reached about 20 m (66 ft) altitude,[110] followed by an August 27 test that rose to 150 m (490 ft)[111] and landed about 100 m (330 ft) from the launchpad, the Raptor's first use in flight.

Mark series (Mk1 – Mk4)

SpaceX began building two high-altitude prototypes simultaneously, Mk1 in Texas and Mk2 in Florida, using competing teams that shared progress, insights, and build techniques.[112][108] These vehicles featured three Raptor methalox engines and were meant to reach an altitude 5 km (3.1 mi).[113][114] An Mk3 prototype began construction in late-2019.[115]

Starship Mk1 in September 2019

Mk1 was 9 m (30 ft) in diameter and about 50 m (160 ft) tall,[115] 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 boasted three sea-level Raptors, two fins each at the front and back, and a nose cone containing cold-gas reaction control thrusters, all of which were removed thereafter.[116][117][118]

Mk4 construction began in Florida in October,[119] but was scrapped after a few weeks.[46]

On November 20, 2019, Mk1 blew apart during a pressure test.[120][121] Mk2 was never completed.[46][47][122] In December 2019, Musk redesignated Mk3 as Starship SN1 and predicted that minor design improvements would continue through SN20.[123] In January 2020, SpaceX performed pressurization tests in Boca Chica.[124] One test intentionally destroyed the tank by over-pressurizing it to 7.1 bar (103 psi).[125] Another tank underwent at least two pressurization tests; the first failed at 7.5 bar (109 psi).[126] After repairs the tank was cryogenic pressure tested (January 29), and ruptured at 8.5 bar (123 psi).[127] The test was considered a success as 8.5 represented a safety factor of 1.4 times the 6 bar (87 psi) operational pressure.[128][129]

SpaceX began stacking SN1 in February 2020 after successful pressurization tests on propellant tank prototypes. SN1 was destroyed during a cryogenic pressurization test (February 28) due to a design flaw in the lower tank thrust structure.[130][131]

Hops (SN3–SN6)

SN3 and SN4

Static fire of SN4

SN3 was destroyed during testing on April 3, 2020[132][52] due to a failure in the testing configuration.[36]

SN4 passed cryogenic pressure testing (April 26)[133] and two static fires (May 5 and 7): one tested the main tanks, while the other tested the fuel header tank.[134] After uninstalling the engine, a new cryogenic pressure test was conducted (May 19). A leak in the methane fuel piping ignited, causing significant damage to the rocket's base, destroying the control wiring.[135] SN4 was destroyed (May 29), due to a failure with the Ground Support Equipment's quick-disconnect function.[136]

SN5 and SN6

After a static fire test (July 30),[137] SN5 completed a 150-meter flight (August 4) with engine SN27.[58][138] SN6 completed a static fire (August 24) and a 150-meter hop test flight with engine SN29 (September 3).

In January 2021, SN6 was scrapped,[139] followed by SN5 in February.[140]

High-altitude test flights (SN8–SN15)

SN8 shortly after taking off during its test flight
Photograph of Elon Musk alongside the remains of Starship
Starship SN8 remains after it crashed to the ground
SN9 on Suborbital Pad B, with the production facility in the background

SN8 and SN9

SN8 was planned to be built out of 304L stainless steel,[141] although some parts may have used 301L steel.[142] In late October and November, SN8 survived four static fires. During the third test (November 12), debris from the pad caused the vehicle to lose pneumatics.[143] Launch took place on December 9. Launch, ascent, reorientation, and controlled descent were successful, but low pressure in the methane header tank[144] kept the engines from producing enough thrust for the landing burn, destroying SN8 on impact.[145]

On December 11, the stand beneath SN9 failed, causing the vehicle to tip and contact the walls inside the High Bay.[146] SN9 then required a replacement forward flap.[147] SN9 conducted 6 static fires in January 2021,[68] including three separate static fires.[148] Engines 44 and 46 had to be replaced.[149] After struggling to gain FAA permission,[150] SN9 conducted a 10 km (6.2 mi) flight test (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.[151] The landing pad was then reinforced with an additional layer of concrete.[152] 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.[153][76]

SN10 – SN14

SN10's first cryogenic proof test succeeded (February 8), followed by a static fire (February 23).[70] After an engine swap came another static fire (February 25).[154]

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,[155] the second attempt landed without exploding. 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.[156][157]

SN11 accomplished a cryogenic proof test (March 12) that included a test of the Reaction control system (RCS),[158][159] followed by a static fire test (March 15). Immediately after ignition, the test was aborted.[160] Another static fire attempt[161] led to reports that one of the three engines had been removed for repairs.[162] A replacement engine was installed[163] and a third static fire was attempted (March 26).[164] A 10 km flight test was conducted in heavy fog (March 30). The test included engine cutoffs, flip maneuver, flap control and descent, along with a visible fire on engine 2[165] during the ascent. Just after the defective engine was re-ignited for the landing burn, SN11 lost telemetry at T+ 5:49 and disintegrated.[166] SN12 through SN14 never launched.[167]

SN15 – SN19

SN15 introduced[168] improved avionics software, an updated aft skirt propellant architecture, and a new Raptor design and configuration.[169] A Starlink antenna on the side of the vehicle was another new feature.[170] SN15 underwent an ambient temperature pressure test (April 9),[171] A cryogenic proof test (April 12), and a header tank cryogenic proof test (April 13).[172][173] Then a static fire (April 26)[82][83] and a header tank static fire (April 27) followed.[174] 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 was controlled shortly after landing.[175] After its engines were removed, it was retired on May 31, the first Starship prototype to fly, land and be recovered. It took its place in the Rocket Garden.[176] SN16[88] and SN17 were scrapped, and SN18 and SN19 were never completed. On July 26, 2023, SN15 was scrapped.[177]

V1 Orbital Launches (SN20/Ship 20–S32)

SN20/Ship 20 – Ship 23

SN20 getting its heat shield inspected
Static fire test of SN20 on October 21, 2021

SN20 (Ship 20) resides in the Rocket Garden, previously planned to be launched atop the Super Heavy booster. SN20 was the first vehicle with a complete thermal protection system. SN20 rolled out to the launch mount on August 5, 2021, and was stacked onto Booster 4 for a fit test.[91][178][179] FCC filings in May 2021 by SpaceX stated that the orbital flight would launch from Boca Chica. After separation, Starship would enter orbit and around 90 minutes later attempt a soft ocean landing around 100 km off the coast of Kauai.[180] However, S20 was retired in March 2022.

Ship 21 was scrapped, Ship 22 moved out to the Rocket Garden in late February 2022. Ship 23 was scrapped and partially recycled in Ship 24.[181]

Ship 24

As of December 2022, Ship 24 was planned to make an orbital test flight atop Booster 7.[182] It was first spotted in November 2021, and made cryogenic proof tests on June 2, 2022, June 6, 2022, and June 7, 2022.[183][184] On June 9, 2022, Ship 24 was rolled back to the production site for engine installation.[185] On July 5, 2022, Ship 24 was rolled back out to the launch site and lifted onto Suborbital Pad B a day later.[186][187] Ship 24 then conducted a successful spin prime test on July 18, 2022.[188] On July 20, 2022, Ship 24 completed two successful spin prime tests.[189] On July 21, 2022, Ship 24 again conducted two spin prime tests, the first test only included one engine, while the second test involved two engines.[190] On July 28, 2022, Ship 24 successfully completed a forward flap test.[191] Ship 24 completed two additional successful spin prime tests on August 8, 2022.[192] It was static fired with two engines on August 9, 2022.[193][194][195] On August 24, 2022, Ship 24 successfully completed an ignitor test with all 6 of its engines.[196] On August 25, 2022, Ship 24 went through an additional spin prime test.[197] On September 8, 2022, Ship 24 underwent a six engine static fire test,[198][199] which damaged around 30 of its 18,000 ceramic tiles.[200] The ship was repairs, and was subsequently stacked on top of Booster 7 in mid-October, before being destacked on October 16, 2022,[201] and restacked on October 20, 2022.[202] On November 8, 2022, Ship 24 was destacked again for static fire tests.[203] On December 15, 2022, Ship 24 conducted a single engine static fire.[204][205] On January 9, 2023, Ship 24 was stacked on Booster 7,[206] and then destacked on January 24, 2023.[207] On January 26, 2023, Ship 24 was rolled back to the production site for final TPS work.[208] On March 31, 2023, Ship 24 was rolled out to the launch site for the final time before launch.[209] On April 5, 2023, Ship 24 had two lift attempts, the first lift attempt was aborted, however the second attempt, less than a few hours after the first, was successful.[210] On April 12, 2023, Ship 24 was destacked for FTS installation before launch.[211] On April 15, 2023, Ship 24 was stacked onto Booster 7 for the final time before launch.[212] On April 20, 2023, it was destroyed in flight along with Booster 7 after spinning out of control.[213][214]

Ship 25

Ship 25 was a Starship prototype very similar to the destroyed Ship 24. It flew on the second Integrated Flight Test with Booster 9 and was the first Starship to reach pass the Karman Line and reach space.[215] Like Ship 24, S25 featured a heat shield. A payload bay was also built, but was permanently sealed shut.[216] To test its cryogenic testing equipment, it resided for a time at the Massey's site, a nearby former gun range.[217] During the third week of May 2023, Ship 25 was moved to the launch site and lifted onto suborbital pad B in preparation for engine testing.[218] On June 21, 2023, Ship 25 performed a successful spin prime test.[219] On June 24, 2023, it was announced that S25 would be the first vehicle to use hot staging (when the second stage fires its engines while some of the booster's engines are still firing).[220] On June 26, 2023, Ship 25 underwent its first static fire test, igniting all six engines.[221] On August 5, 2023, it was moved to the Rocket Garden for final TPS work.[222] On September 5, 2023, it was moved back to the Orbital Launch Site, followed by stacking onto B9.[223] On September 14, 2023, it was removed from B9.[224] On September 27, 2023, it was lifted back onto B9, before being destacked on October 5, 2023.[225][226] It was then restacked on October 16, 2023, only to be destacked the next day.[227] This was followed by a restack three days later.[228] On October 24, B9 and S25 completed a WDR.[229][230] On October 26, 2023, S25 was removed from B9.[231] It was restacked on November 1, 2023,[232][233] and then destacked on November 2, 2023,[234][235] followed by FTS installation on November 9, 2023.[236] On November 10, 2023, S25 was stacked onto B9,[237] and then destacked on November 11, 2023.[238] On November 15, 2023, S25 was stacked onto B9 for the Second Integrated Flight Test.[239] Due to a failed grid fin actuator on B9, S25 was destacked on November 16, and restacked on November 17.[240][241]

On November 18, 2023, Ship 25 was launched atop Booster 9 on the second Integrated Flight Test. Ship 25 successfully separated from Booster 9. Near the end of its burn, the autonomous flight termination system activated, destroying the vehicle.[242][243]

Ship 26 and 27

Ship 26 and 27 are expendable Starship prototypes, as they lack heat shield tiles and flaps. Ship 26 has no payload bay door, whereas Ship 27 had a reinforced payload dispenser designed to carry Starlink satellites. Ship 26, after several cryo tests, was moved to the engine install stand. Ship 27 was scrapped on July 20, 2023.[244] After the scrapping of S27 was complete, S26 moved to the rocket garden.[245] S27's aft section was then converted into a test article, presumably to test the engine shielding design present on S25.[246] On September 9, 2023, S26 was moved to Suborbital Pad B for static fire testing.[247] On September 27, 2023, S27 was rolled to the Massey's test site.[246] S26 then underwent a cryogenic test on October 9, 2023, followed by a preburner test with a single engine nine days later, a first for vehicles equipped with Raptor 2 engines.[248] This was followed by a single engine static fire on October 20, 2023, simulating a deorbit burn.[97] It was moved back to the rocket garden one week later.[249] On December 7, 2023, S26 was placed on an engine stand, and a crane was attached to S26, potentially indicating an imminent scrapping.[250] However, on December 11, 2023, the crane was detached from S26, and S26 was returned to the Rocket Garden.[251] On December 16, 2023, SpaceX crews began welding large steel pieces onto the stack weld connecting S26's payload bay and forward dome sections, likely an attempt to reinforce the payload bay, although it is currently unclear what the reason behind this reinforcement is, or if this means SpaceX plans to use S26 as a flight article.[252] Additional supports were added on December 20, 2023.[253]

Ship 28 – Ship 33

Ships 28 through 32 feature heat shield tiles, as well as reinforced Starlink dispensers. In July 2023, S28 underwent cryogenic testing, before being moved onto the engine install stand. On August 18, 2023, S28 began to have its engines installed.[254] On September 22, 2023, S29 was moved to Masseys for cryogenic testing. On September 26, 2023, S29 was cryogenically tested. On October 13, 2023, S29 was moved to the rocket garden. On November 21, 2023, S29 was moved into the High Bay, followed by the exit of S30 on November 22, 2023. On November 23, 2023, S28 and S30 were moved to the High Bay, presumably for TPS work.[255] On November 24, Musk stated that S32 would be the last of the V1 starships.[256] As of December, 2023, it is unknown what changes will be made to the next version. In late November 2023, S33's components were scrapped.[102] On December 7, 2023, SpaceX confirmed that S28 would be the next vehicle to fly.[257] On December 14, 2023, S28 was moved to the launch site[258] and lifted onto suborbital Pad B for static fire testing.[259] On December 16, 2023, S28 completed a spin prime test,[260] followed by a six engine static fire test on December 20, 2023.[261] This was followed by a deorbit burn test on December 29, 2023.[262] S29 was moved into Mega Bay 2 on the same day.[263] S30 was then moved to Massey's for cryogenic testing on December 30, 2023.[264] On January 3, 2024, S30 underwent its first cryogenic test.[265] On January 4, S31 was moved back to the High Bay,[266] and S28 was moved back to the production site.[267] On January 10, S30 was returned to the production site, presumably for engine installation, and S32 was moved to the Rocket Garden.[268]

Test articles

Starship test articles
Name First spotted Decommissioned Construction site Cur. Location Status Tests
TT1 January 2020[269] January 10, 2020[270] Boca Chica, Texas — Intentionally destroyed 1
LOX HT January 2020[271] January 25, 2020[272] Boca Chica, Texas — Intentionally destroyed 2
TT2 January 2020[273] January 29, 2020[274] Boca Chica, Texas — Intentionally destroyed 2
SN2 February 2020[275] March 2020[276] Boca Chica, Texas Production site Retired 1
SN7 May 2020[277] June 23, 2020[278] Boca Chica, Texas — Intentionally destroyed 2
SN7.1 July 2020[279] September 22, 2020[280] Boca Chica, Texas — Intentionally destroyed 2
SN7.2 December 2020[281] May 22, 2021 Boca Chica, Texas Production site Retired 2
GSE 4.1 August 2021 January 18, 2022 Boca Chica, Texas — Intentionally destroyed[282] 2
EDOME 2022 Late October 2022 Boca Chica, Texas — Intentionally destroyed 2
S26.1 November 2022 September 2023 Boca Chica, Texas — Intentionally destroyed 3
S24.2 June 2023 Not yet Boca Chica, Texas Masseys Undergoing structural testing at Massey's 1
EDOME 2 September 2023 December 2023 Boca Chica, Texas — Scrapped 1

General test articles

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 filled with water and tested to failure as part of an ambient temperature test, reaching a pressure of 7.1 bar (103 psi).[270]

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.[283] Two days later, it underwent a cryogenic proof test to destruction, bursting at 8.5 bar (123 psi).[284][274]

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. It underwent a cryogenic proof test (August 23) before it was rolled to Sanchez site.[285] It was rolled back to the launch site in November 2021 and underwent an apparent cryogenic proof test to failure (January 18), where it burst at an unknown pressure.

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 not undergoing any tests.[286] 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.[287] After repairs, it was tested to destruction in late October 2022.[288]

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.[289]

Starship-based test articles

Liquid Oxygen Header Test Tank (LOX HTT) was similar to TT1, but was based on the LOX Header tank inside a nosecone section. On January 24, 2020, the tank underwent a pressurization test which lasted several hours.[290] The following day it was tested to destruction.[272]

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.[291][130]

SN7 was a pathfinder test article for the switch to type 304L stainless steel.[279] 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.[292][278]

SN7.1 was the second 304L test tank, with the goal of reaching a higher failure pressure.[279] The tank was repeatedly tested in September, and tested to destruction on September 23.[293] The bulkhead came apart at a pressure of 8 bar (115 psi) in ullage and 9 bar (130 psi) at base.[294][280]

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.[295] 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.[296][297] On March 15, SN7.2 was retired.[298][299]

S26.1 was a test tank designed to test the aft section of ships after S24. It conducted two tests on the can-crusher, before being moved off in July 2023.[300] On September 21, 2023, it was tested to destruction.[301]

S24.2 is test article designed to test the payload bay of Starlink dispenser vehicles.[302] On September 28, 2023, it was moved to the Masseys test site.

Notes

    See also

    References

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