SpaceX Starship test flight history: every flight 2024-2027 (Flight 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, 15+)

SpaceX's Starship program is the most ambitious rocket program in history. From the first orbital insertion on Flight 14 (Sept 28, 2026) to the first Super Heavy catch on Flight 5 (Oct 2024), Starship has redefined what's possible for fully reusable rockets. Below: every test flight from 2024-2027, what worked, what failed, and what's next.

This page serves as the canonical Starship tracker — updated as new flights happen.

How many Starship test flights have there been?

As of September 29, 2026: 14 test flights (Flight 1 through Flight 14).

Year	Flights	Highlights
2023	2	Flight 1 + Flight 2 (first full-stack + early termination)
2024	4	Flight 5 first booster catch, Flight 6 second-stage failure
2025	4	Block 2 Starship + Raptor 3, Flight 11 last second-gen
2026	3	Flight 13 + Flight 14 first orbital + Starlink V3 deployment
2027	TBD	Flight 15-18 (planned)

Starship test flight history (every flight 2024-2027)

Flight 5 — October 13, 2024 (FIRST SUPER HEAVY CATCH)

Mission: First Super Heavy booster catch by Mechazilla tower arms.

Detail	Value
Date	Oct 13, 2024
Upper stage	Ship 30
Booster	Booster 12 (B12)
Outcome	✅ First booster catch — historic milestone
Result	Success

Why this matters: First time any orbital-class booster was caught by a launch tower. Validated SpaceX's reusability strategy. Set up the path to fully reusable Starship.

Key quote (Elon Musk): "The Tower has caught the Super Heavy booster!"

Flight 6 — November 19, 2024 (SECOND-STAGE FAILURE)

Mission: Second booster catch attempt + on-orbit Raptor relight test.

Detail	Value
Date	Nov 19, 2024
Upper stage	Ship 31
Booster	Booster 13 (B13)
Outcome	✅ Booster caught + ❌ Ship engine failure during ascent
Result	Partial success

Why this matters: Second booster catch validated repeatability. Ship engine failure caused the ship to be lost over the Gulf of Mexico. Triggered Raptor 2 reliability investigation.

Flight 7 — January 16, 2025 (SHIP SUCCESSFUL REENTRY)

Mission: Booster catch + ship reentry + on-orbit experiments.

Detail	Value
Date	Jan 16, 2025
Upper stage	Ship 32
Booster	Booster 14 (B14)
Outcome	✅ Booster caught + ✅ Ship controlled reentry
Result	Success

Why this matters: First successful Ship reentry + Pacific splashdown. Validated heat shield design for planned Mars missions.

Flight 8 — March 6, 2025 (PARTIAL FAILURE)

Mission: Booster catch + ship engine relight.

Detail	Value
Date	Mar 6, 2025
Upper stage	Ship 33
Booster	Booster 15 (B15)
Outcome	✅ Booster caught + ❌ Ship lost during reentry (roll anomaly)
Result	Partial success

Key lesson: Ship roll control issue caused plasma overheating. Heat shield tiles destroyed during reentry.

Flight 9 — May 27, 2025 (BLOCK 2 + RAPTOR 3)

Mission: First Block 2 Starship with Raptor 3 engines + 25 satellites to space.

Detail	Value
Date	May 27, 2025
Upper stage	Ship 34 (Block 2)
Booster	Booster 16 (B16)
Outcome	✅ Booster caught + ✅ Ship reached space + ✅ Starlink simulators deployed
Result	Success

Why this matters: First Block 2 Starship (redesigned for larger payload). Raptor 3 engines (more powerful + reliable).

Flight 10 — August 26, 2025 (FIRST PAYLOAD DEPLOYMENT)

Mission: Ship reaches space + deploys 8 Starlink simulators.

Detail	Value
Date	Aug 26, 2025
Upper stage	Ship 35
Booster	Booster 17 (B17)
Outcome	✅ Booster caught + ✅ Starlink simulators deployed
Result	Success

Why this matters: First deployment of Starlink simulators (test articles). Validated payload deployment mechanism.

Flight 11 — October 13, 2025 (LAST SECOND-GEN)

Mission: Last flight of second-generation Starship.

Detail	Value
Date	Oct 13, 2025
Upper stage	Ship 36
Booster	Booster 18 (B18)
Outcome	✅ Booster caught + ✅ Ship relight test
Result	Success (last second-gen flight)

Why this matters: End of the second-gen Starship era. SpaceX moves to Block 3 Starship for Flight 12+.

Flight 12 — December 12, 2025 (FIRST BLOCK 3)

Mission: First Block 3 Starship + advanced heat shield.

Detail	Value
Date	Dec 12, 2025
Upper stage	Ship 38 (Block 3)
Booster	Booster 19 (B19)
Outcome	✅ Booster caught + ✅ Ship in-space engine relight
Result	Success

Why this matters: Block 3 is the version that will support NASA HLS Artemis lunar landings. Larger capacity, longer mission duration.

Flight 13 — July 24, 2026 (STARLINK V3 + RELIGHT)

Mission: First Starlink V3 deployment + in-space relight.

Detail	Value
Date	July 24, 2026
Upper stage	Ship 40
Booster	Booster 20 (B20)
Outcome	✅ Booster caught + ✅ 26 Starlink V3 deployed (test) + ✅ In-space relight
Result	Success

Why this matters: First operational Starlink V3 launch (test deployment). Validated in-space relight for orbital insertion.

Flight 14 — September 28, 2026 (FIRST ORBITAL FLIGHT)

Mission: First orbital flight of Starship + Starlink V3 deployment.

Detail	Value
Date	Sept 28, 2026
Upper stage	Ship 41
Booster	Booster 21 (B21)
Outcome	✅ Orbital insertion + ✅ 26 Starlink V3 deployed + ✅ Both stages splashed down
Result	Success (1 Raptor failure)

Why this matters: First time Starship reached orbit. Starship is now operationally orbital. Foundational milestone for Artemis lunar landings + Mars missions.

For full Flight 14 details, see our Starship Flight 14 article.

What's next for Starship?

Upcoming flights (planned):

Flight	Target	Goal
Flight 15	Nov-Dec 2026	Multi-satellite deployment + longer mission
Flight 16	Q1 2027	Catch Super Heavy + reuse Ship
Flight 17	Q2 2027	Propellant transfer demo (NASA HLS requirement)
Flight 18	Q3 2027	Cargo Starship to lunar orbit (precursor)
Flight 19	Q4 2027	Crewed lunar flyby test
Crewed lunar landing	2028-2029	NASA HLS Artemis III mission

How does SpaceX's Starship compare to other rockets?

The world's most powerful operational rockets:

Rocket	Height	Thrust	Payload to LEO	Reusable?	Cost/launch
Starship	121 m	74 MN	100-150 t	✅ Yes (full)	~$10M (target)
Saturn V	111 m	35 MN	140 t	❌ No	n/a (retired)
SLS	98 m	39 MN	95 t	❌ No	$2B+
Falcon Heavy	70 m	22 MN	64 t	✅ Side boosters	$90M
Falcon 9	70 m	7.6 MN	22 t	✅ Yes	$50-67M
Long March 9	110 m (planned)	60 MN	150 t	❌ No (planned)	TBD

Starship is the only rocket designed for full reusability with aircraft-like operations (same-day refly).

What milestones has Starship achieved?

Major Starship milestones (chronological):

Date	Milestone	Flight
Apr 2023	First full-stack Starship	Flight 1
Oct 2024	First Super Heavy booster catch	Flight 5
Nov 2024	Second booster catch	Flight 6
Jan 2025	First successful Ship reentry	Flight 7
May 2025	Block 2 Starship + Raptor 3	Flight 9
Aug 2025	First Starlink simulator deployment	Flight 10
Dec 2025	Block 3 Starship	Flight 12
Jul 2026	First Starlink V3 deployment	Flight 13
Sept 2026	First orbital flight	Flight 14
2027 (planned)	First propellant transfer demo	Flight 17
2028-2029 (planned)	First crewed lunar landing	Artemis III

What is SpaceX's Starship testing cadence?

Starship test cadence (SpaceX target):

Year	Planned flights	Actual flights
2024	6-9	4
2025	6-9	4
2026	5-7	3 (so far)
2027	6-9 (planned)	TBD

Note: SpaceX targets 3-4 flights per year for Starship (vs 100+ for Falcon 9). Lower cadence is acceptable because each flight is a major milestone + multi-hour mission.

What's the economic impact of Starship?

Starship economics:

Factor	Current state	With full reuse
Cost per launch	$50-100M	~$10M (target $5M)
Refurbishment time	2-4 weeks	1-3 days (target)
Payload to LEO	$500-1,000/kg	$50-100/kg (target)
Total launches/year	3-4	100+ (theoretical)

Starship reduces launch cost by 10-100x vs traditional rockets. This unlocks:

• Mega-constellation deployment (Starlink V3 expansion)
• Lunar tourism (dearMoon + competitors)
• Mars cargo + crewed missions (2028-2030+)
• Space-based manufacturing + solar power (2030s+)

What is NASA's HLS (Human Landing System) program?

NASA's HLS program uses SpaceX Starship for Artemis III lunar landing (first crewed Moon landing since Apollo 17 in 1972):

HLS Milestone	Target	Status
Uncrewed lunar landing demo	2027-2028	Pending
Crewed lunar flyby	2027-2028	Pending
Crewed lunar landing (Artemis III)	2028-2029	Pending
Cargo to lunar surface	2030+	Pending

NASA contract value: $2.9B for first crewed lunar landing + $1.5B for second landing.

HLS requirements:

• Propellant transfer in space (between two Starships)
• Long-duration deep space mission
• Lunar landing precision (<100m from target)
• Lunar surface operations (EVAs, habitat deployment)

What's the relationship between Starship and SpaceX's IPO?

SpaceX IPO'd in June 2026 (per recent reports). SpaceX's valuation post-IPO: ~$500B+.

Starship is the primary growth driver for SpaceX valuation:

• Starlink V3 constellation: $300-500B revenue potential by 2030
• NASA HLS contract: $4.4B (lunar landing)
• DoD launches: $5-10B/year by 2030
• Mars programs: $100B+ (2030s+)

Starship Flight 14's success is a major valuation catalyst for SpaceX.

FAQ: SpaceX Starship

How many Starship test flights have there been?

14 test flights (Flight 1 through Flight 14) as of Sept 29, 2026. The most recent (Flight 14) was the first orbital flight.

When was Starship's first orbital flight?

Flight 14 on Sept 28, 2026 at 12:48 UTC. First time Starship reached orbit in 14 test flights.

What is the next Starship flight?

Flight 15 is planned for Nov-Dec 2026 (Q4 2026). Target: multi-satellite deployment + longer mission.

When will Starship reach Mars?

Elon Musk's target: 2028-2030 for first uncrewed cargo mission. Crewed Mars mission: 2030s.

How much does a Starship launch cost?

Currently $50-100M per launch. Target: $5-10M per launch when fully reused with same-day refly.

What is the largest rocket in the world?

Starship. 121 m tall, 9 m diameter, 74 MN thrust (more than Saturn V's 35 MN).

Is Starship fully reusable?

Yes — both Super Heavy booster and Ship are designed for full reuse. Currently ship is recovered via splashdown; SpaceX is developing catch mechanism (similar to booster).

When will Starship land humans on the Moon?

NASA Artemis III target: 2028-2029. Requires propellant transfer demo (Flight 17 in 2027) + uncrewed lunar landing demo first.

Has SpaceX ever lost a Starship?

Yes — multiple Ships were lost during test flights:

• Flight 1 (Apr 2023): Stage separation failure
• Flight 2 (Nov 2023): Lost over Gulf of Mexico
• Flight 6 (Nov 2024): Engine failure during ascent
• Flight 8 (Mar 2025): Roll anomaly during reentry
• Flight 14 (Sept 2026): Successful but with 1 Raptor failure (ship intentionally splashed down after mission)

What is Block 3 Starship?

Block 3 is the third major design revision of Starship. Larger than Block 1/2 (more payload capacity), uses Raptor 3 engines. First flew on Flight 12 (Dec 2025).

How does Starship compare to Saturn V?

Saturn V launched 1967-1973 (Apollo missions). Starship is taller (121 vs 111 m), more powerful (74 vs 35 MN), and fully reusable. Saturn V cost $185M in 1973 dollars (~$1.3B today); Starship targets $10M per launch.

What is the difference between Starship and Super Heavy?

Super Heavy is the first stage (booster) with 33 Raptor engines. Starship is the upper stage with 6 Raptor engines. Together: 121 m tall, 9 m diameter. Both stages are designed for reusability.

Will Starship replace Falcon 9?

Not immediately. Falcon 9 will continue flying for Starlink + DoD + commercial missions. Starship is for mega-constellations + lunar + Mars missions. Both will operate in parallel.

What is the most powerful rocket ever built?

Starship. 74 MN of thrust (2x Saturn V, 3x SLS, 10x Falcon 9). Capable of 100-150 tons to LEO when reused.

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For the latest crewed mission on Falcon 9 (the workhorse that complements Starship), see our SpaceX Crew-13 ISS mission launch guide (NET November 2026, 4 crew). For the most recent Starship orbital success, see Starship Flight 14 (Sept 28, 2026).