SpaceX Starship launch overview

Credit: SpaceX

SpaceX Starship is planned to be a fully-reusable two-stage super heavy-lift launch vehicle. This private launch vehicle will consist of the Super Heavy booster stage and the Starship spacecraft on top. In total, Starship will be the tallest and most powerful rocket ever built. One launch may deliver more than 100 t (220,000 lb) to low Earth orbit. SpaceX will also develop several variants of the Starship rocket that should make it possible to take people to the moon again and to fuel Starship spacecraft in space. Before putting this giant rocket into space, SpaceX is conducting a series of test flights with prototypes at its private rocket production and test facility located at Boca Chica, Texas. In July 2019, Starhopper, a prototype vehicle with extended fins, was able to successfully hover. In May 2021, Starship SN15 prototype successfully flew to 10 km and landed, after four failed attempts by previous prototypes. Learn all about the different Starship test flights thanks to this overview! 

SpaceX Starship launch overview

Flight No. Photo Date launch Rocket Launch base Max. altitude Duration Patch Video Succesful landing?
1 Starhopper 25/07/2019 Starhopper Starbase (Texas) 20 m 22 sec / Video

Success

2 Starhopper 27/08/2019 Starhopper Starbase (Texas) 150 m 1 min / Video

Success

3 Starship 04/08/2020 Starship SN5 Starbase (Texas) 150 m 45 sec / Video

Success

4 Starship 03/09/2020 Starship SN6 Starbase (Texas) 150 m 45 sec / Video

Success

5 Starship 09/12/2020 Starship SN8 Starbase (Texas) 12,5 km 6 min, 42 sec / Video

Failure

6 Starship 02/02/2021 Starship SN9 Starbase (Texas) 10 km 6 min, 26 sec / Video

Failure

7 Starship 03/03/2021 Starship SN10 Starbase (Texas) 10 km 6 min, 24 sec / Video

Failure

8 Starship 30/03/2021 Starship SN11 Starbase (Texas) 10 km 6 min, 26 sec / Video

Failure

9 Starship 05/05/2021 Starship SN15 Starbase (Texas) 10 km 6 min / Video

Success

10 Starship 20/04/2023 Starship IFT-1 Starbase (Texas) 39 km 4 min Starship IFT 1 Video

Failure

11 Starship 18/11/2023 Starship IFT-2 Starbase (Texas) 148 km 8 min Starship IFT 2 Video

Partial failure

12 Starship 14/03/2024 Starship IFT-3 Starbase (Texas) Suborbital 49 min Starship IFT 3 Video

Partial failure

Images: SpaceX