Jump to content

Starship flight test 10

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Starship flight test 10
Mission typeFlight test
OperatorSpaceX
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftShip 37
Spacecraft typeStarship (Block 2)
ManufacturerSpaceX
Start of mission
Launch dateAugust 26, 2025, 23:30 UTC (6:30 pm CDT)
RocketSuper Heavy (Block 2, B16)[1]
Launch siteStarbase, OLP-1
End of mission
Landing date
  • Super Heavy: August 26, 2025, 23:36:51 UTC (6:36:51 pm CDT)
  • Ship: August 27, 2025, 00:36:30 UTC[2]
Landing site
Orbital parameters
Perigee altitude
  • Initial: 2 km (1.2 mi)
  • After relight: 47 km (29 mi)[2]
Apogee altitude
  • Initial: 192 km (119 mi)
  • After relight: 220 km (140 mi)[2]
Inclination26.5°[2]
Payload
8 Starlink mass simulators
Mass~16,000 kg (35,000 lb)[3][4]

Mission patch

Starship flight test 10 was the tenth flight test of a SpaceX Starship launch system, using Booster 16 and Ship 37.[5][6][7]

Originally scheduled for no earlier than June 29, 2025, the launch was postponed following the loss of Ship 36, which was destroyed in an explosion during propellant loading for a static fire test in mid-June 2025.[8]

The first launch attempt was scrubbed due to an oxidizer line leak on the ground systems, while the second was called off due to the presence of anvil clouds near the launch site. A third, successful launch attempt occurred on August 26, 2025 at 23:30 UTC (6:30 pm CDT).

Background

[edit]

Impact of Flights 7, 8 and 9

[edit]

SpaceX faced a series of second-stage failures since flight test 7.[9][10] During flight test 7, a fire in the aft section of the second stage caused the loss of several engines and ultimately destroyed the vehicle.[11][12] Investigators later determined that propellant leaks caused by strong harmonic oscillations were the likely root cause.[13]

Flight test 8 ended in a similar failure when an explosion in the aft section during ascent destroyed the vehicle.[14] An internal investigation identified a hardware failure in one of the central Raptor engines as the probable cause.[15]

On flight test 9 the second stage completed its burn and reached its intended trajectory, but multiple failures during the coast phase resulted in a loss of attitude control. The vehicle was passivated, and later objectives were abandoned. It disintegrated upon reentry within the planned descent corridor, ensuring debris fell into the ocean as designed.[9][10] The FAA closed its investigation into the flight on August 15, 2025, clearing the way for flight test 10.[15]

Vehicle testing ahead of launch

[edit]

Ship 36 and its explosion

[edit]

Ship 36 was assembled in Mega Bay 2 (MB2) during February and March 2025,[16] and rolled out to the Massey's test site for cryogenic testing on April 26.[17][18] After completing a full cryogenic test the following day,[19] it returned to MB2 for engine installation before heading back to Massey’s in mid-June.[20] On June 16, Ship 36 completed a single-engine static fire.[21][22] Two days later, as propellant was being loaded for another test, the vehicle exploded.[23] The blast caused severe damage to the test site, and fires burned for several hours. Initial analysis indicated that a nitrogen tank (composite overwrapped pressure vessel) in the nose cone burst below its rated pressure, triggering the destruction.[24] Following the loss of Ship 36, Ship 37 was reassigned to Flight 10.

Ship 37

[edit]

Ship 37's payload bay and nose cone were moved into MB2 on March 15,[25] followed by CH4 transfer tubes in April.[26] After cryogenic testing in late May,[27] the vehicle returned for final preparations in early June.[28]

On July 28, Ship 37 rolled to the launch site and was lifted onto Pad 1.[29][30] It completed a single-engine static fire on July 31 and a six-engine static fire on August 1.[31] The ship was then removed from the orbital launch mount for final checks and tile installation.[32][33] A new Raptor Vacuum engine was installed on August 4, and the vehicle returned to the pad on August 11.[34]

A spin prime test scheduled for August 12 was aborted due to a supply line leak,[35] but a successful six-engine spin prime test was completed the next day.[36] Ship 37 was then rolled back for final work,[37] including loading Starlink simulators on August 23.

Booster 16

[edit]

Booster 16 completed a cryogenic test on February 28,[38] followed by engine installation in March.[39] It rolled to the launch site in early June and successfully completed a 33-engine static fire on June 6.[40][41][42] After additional checks,[43] the booster was moved to Pad 1 and lifted onto the orbital launch mount on August 21.

Mission profile

[edit]
Attempt Planned Result Turnaround Reason Decision point Weather go (%) Notes
1 24 Aug 2025, 6:45:00 pm Scrubbed — Technical 24 Aug 2025, 6:13 pm ​(T−00:39:55) 45% Ground system oxidizer line leak[44][45]
2 25 Aug 2025, 6:59:00 pm Scrubbed 1 day 0 hours 14 minutes Weather 25 Aug 2025, 7:02 pm ​(T−00:00:40 hold) 55%[46] Anvil clouds in launch area[47][48]
3 26 Aug 2025, 6:30:00 pm Successful 0 days 23 hours 31 minutes 55%[49]

The mission profile for Flight 10 was nearly identical to that of Flight 9, sharing most of the same objectives.[50] Booster 16 performed a directional flip during stage separation and tested an engine-out landing burn scenario. For this test, one of the center engines was intentionally disabled and replaced with an engine from the middle ring of ten. One of the booster's engines shut down shortly after launch, and it did not relight for the boostback or landing burns. After completing its landing burn, the booster briefly hovered over the water before cutting power and splashing into the Gulf of Mexico, where it exploded on impact.[50] The descent used a less aggressive angle of attack than that flown by Booster 14-2 during the previous mission, which had been identified as a factor in 14-2's breakup.[51] Future booster re-entries will also follow a shallower descent profile.[51]

Ship 37 carried and deployed eight Starlink mass simulators and conducted a brief in-space Raptor engine relight test over Africa. Ten minutes later, during re-entry at T+00:47:00 and an altitude of approximately 90 kilometers (56 mi), an explosion potentially originating from the engine chill lines occurred within the engine compartment, severely damaging Ship 37's aft skirt.[52] it was later determined that this was caused by blocked engine chill lines and a subsequent combustion event. Despite this, and some burn-through at the inner trailing edge of the aft flaps, Ship 37 survived re-entry. After completing its objectives, the ship performed a landing flip and briefly hovered over the Indian Ocean before tipping over into the water, where it exploded on impact. The splashdown was performed within the planned zone and captured on video by a pre-positioned buoy.[50]

Flight timeline

[edit]
Time Event August 24, 2025 August 25, 2025 August 26, 2025
−01:15:00 Flight director conducts a poll and verifies go for propellant loading Go for propellant loading Go for propellant loading Go for propellant loading
−00:53:00 Starship fuel (liquid methane) load start Success Success Success
−00:45:20 Starship oxidizer (liquid oxygen) load start Failure
Oxidizer line leak, launch scrubbed at T−00:39:55 		Success Success
−00:41:37 Super Heavy fuel (liquid methane) load start Success Success Success
−00:35:52 Super Heavy oxidizer (liquid oxygen) load start — Success Success
−00:19:40 Super Heavy and Starship engine chill — Success Success
−00:03:20 Starship propellant load complete — Success Success
−00:02:50 Super Heavy propellant load complete — Success Success
−00:00:30 Flight director verifies go for launch — Weather, no go for launch
Launch scrubbed at T−00:00:40 hold 		Go for launch
−00:00:10 Flame deflector activation — — Success
−00:00:03 Super Heavy engine ignition — — Partial failure
One engine in the middle ring shut down at T+00:01:33. This engine did not relight for subsequent burns.
+00:00:02 Liftoff — — Success
+00:01:02 Max Q (moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket) — — Success
+00:02:36 Super Heavy most engines cutoff (MECO) — — Success
+00:02:38 Starship engine ignition and stage separation (hot-staging) — — Success
+00:02:48 Super Heavy boostback burn start — — Success
+00:03:38 Super Heavy boostback burn shutdown — — Success
+00:03:40 Hot-stage jettison — — Success
+00:06:20 Super Heavy landing burn start — — Success
+00:06:40 Super Heavy landing burn shutdown — — Success
+00:08:57 Starship engine cutoff (SECO) — — Success
+00:18:27 Starlink simulator satellites deploy demo start — — Success
+00:25:32 Starlink simulator satellites deploy demo completion — — Success
+00:37:48 Raptor in-space relight demo — — Success
+00:47:29 Starship atmospheric reentry — — Partial failure
Vehicle damaged on re-entry
+01:03:15 Starship is transonic — — —
+01:04:30 Starship is subsonic — — —
+01:06:14 Starship landing flip — — Success
+01:06:20 Starship landing burn — — Success
+01:06:30 Starship splashdown — — Success
Source: SpaceX[50]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ SECO Achieved + Elon Musk's 2026 Mars Plan!. NASASpaceflight. June 2, 2025. Archived from the original on June 3, 2025. Retrieved June 2, 2025 – via YouTube.
  2. ^ a b c d e McDowell, Jonathan (September 17, 2025). "Jonathan's Space Report No. 849". planet4589.org. Retrieved October 14, 2025.
  3. ^ "Consolidated opposition to petitions and response to comments of SPACEX. Exhibit A. satellite dimensions and DAS outputs". May 30, 2023. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
  4. ^ Weber, Ryan (August 27, 2025). "The Starship Program rises from the ashes of Block 2 with Ship 37". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved August 27, 2025.
  5. ^ Weber, Ryan (January 29, 2025). "Following Flight 7 SpaceX line up future Starships". NASASpaceFlight.com. Archived from the original on May 26, 2025. Retrieved April 6, 2025.
  6. ^ Starship Flight 9 Preps, Chopstick Testing, and Pad B Progress. NASASpaceflight. April 21, 2025. Event occurs at 4:10. Archived from the original on April 24, 2025. Retrieved April 22, 2025 – via YouTube.
  7. ^ Dinner, Josh (August 15, 2025). "SpaceX aims to launch Starship Flight 10 test flight on Aug. 24". Space.com. Retrieved August 16, 2025.
  8. ^ Musk, Elon [@elonmusk] (June 19, 2025). "Preliminary data suggests that a nitrogen COPV in the payload bay failed below its proof pressure. If further investigation confirms that this is what happened, it is the first time ever for this design" (Tweet). Retrieved June 19, 2025 – via Twitter.
  9. ^ a b Carter, Jamie (May 27, 2025). "Elon Musk's SpaceX Starship Explodes Again But Orbits For 46 Minutes". Forbes.com. Archived from the original on May 28, 2025. Retrieved May 27, 2025.
  10. ^ a b Dunn, Marcia (May 27, 2025). "After back-to-back explosions, new SpaceX mega rocket Starship tumbles out of control and breaks into pieces". Fortune. Archived from the original on May 31, 2025. Retrieved May 27, 2025.
  11. ^ "New Year. New Ship. New Lessons". SpaceX.com. February 24, 2025. Archived from the original on February 10, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
  12. ^ Dunn, Marcia (January 16, 2025). "SpaceX Suspects Fire During Starship Flight 7 Linked to Pressure Issues". Associated Press. Archived from the original on May 29, 2025. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  13. ^ SpaceX (February 24, 2025). "New year. New ship. New lessons".
  14. ^ Wall, Mike (March 7, 2025). "Watch fiery SpaceX Starship Flight 8 debris rain down over The Bahamas (video)". Space.com. Archived from the original on May 23, 2025. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
  15. ^ a b "FAA Closes SpaceX Starship Flight 8 Mishap Investigation". FAA. June 12, 2025. Archived from the original on February 4, 2025. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
  16. ^ Despite Flight 8's Failure, SpaceX Races Ahead Towards Mars. NASASpaceflight. March 18, 2025. Event occurs at 17:00. Archived from the original on March 18, 2025. Retrieved March 20, 2025 – via YouTube.
  17. ^ Wait that's Ship 36. NASASpaceflight. April 28, 2025. Archived from the original on June 2, 2025. Retrieved April 29, 2025 – via YouTube.
  18. ^ @NASASpaceflight (April 26, 2025). "Making the turn into Masseys. Gagee (@RoughRidersShow) view the cool view" (Tweet). Retrieved April 26, 2025 – via Twitter.
  19. ^ Priel, Elisar [@ENNEPS] (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" (Tweet). Retrieved April 28, 2025 – via Twitter.
  20. ^ @RoughRidersShow (April 29, 2025). "Ship 36 rolling back right now at Starbase @NASASpaceflight" (Tweet). Retrieved April 29, 2025 – via Twitter.
  21. ^ @StarshipGazer (June 15, 2025). "Leeward side view of Starship 36 during rollout to Massey's test site for static fire testing" (Tweet). Retrieved June 16, 2025 – via Twitter.
  22. ^ SpaceX Performs A Static Fire of Ship 36. NASASpaceflight. June 16, 2025. Retrieved June 16, 2025 – via YouTube.
  23. ^ SpaceX Ship 36 RUDs During Testing. NASASpaceflight. June 18, 2025. Retrieved June 18, 2025 – via YouTube.
  24. ^ Foust, Jeff (June 19, 2025). "Starship destroyed in test stand explosion". SpaceNews. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
  25. ^ Testing of New Ships Forges Ahead at Starbase. NASASpaceflight. March 16, 2025. Retrieved March 17, 2025 – via YouTube.
  26. ^ Goodbye High Bay + Hello Pad B Flame Trench!. NASASpaceflight. April 14, 2025. Retrieved April 22, 2025 – via YouTube.
  27. ^ Priel, Elisar [@ENNEPS] (May 29, 2025). "Days after flight 9, SpaceX is already busy preparing for future flights of Starship, with S37 (potentially flight 11) taking a early morning trip to Masseys, as it starts its testing campaign with some cryo testing" (Tweet). Archived from the original on June 4, 2025. Retrieved May 29, 2025 – via Twitter.
  28. ^ "Did the Booster just Hit the Stand??". NASASpaceflight. June 7, 2025. Event occurs at 1:28. Archived from the original on June 8, 2025. Retrieved June 7, 2025 – via YouTube.
  29. ^ SpaceX Rolls Starship 37 for Pre-flight Static Fire to the OLM. NASASpaceflight. July 27, 2025. Retrieved July 28, 2025 – via YouTube.
  30. ^ SpaceX Lifts Starship 37 for Pre-flight Static Fire to the OLM. NASASpaceflight. July 28, 2025. Retrieved July 29, 2025 – via YouTube.
  31. ^ SpaceX Conducts Starship 37 Testing. NASASpaceflight. July 31, 2025. Retrieved July 31, 2025 – via YouTube.
  32. ^ @NASASpaceflight (August 2, 2025). "Ship 37 most likely heading back to the production site after two static fires on the OLM" (Tweet). Retrieved August 3, 2025 – via Twitter.
  33. ^ Reed, Kevin Michael [@kmreed] (August 2, 2025). "Ship 37 has left the arms of the chopsticks and is heading back to the Production Site for final preparations before Flight X" (Tweet). Retrieved August 3, 2025 – via Twitter.
  34. ^ SpaceX Rolls Starship 37 for Pre-flight Testing on the OLM. NASASpaceflight. August 11, 2025. Retrieved August 13, 2025 – via YouTube.
  35. ^ SpaceX Conducts Testing of Ship 37 on the OLM. NASASpaceflight. August 12, 2025. Retrieved August 13, 2025 – via YouTube.
  36. ^ SpaceX Conducts Testing of Ship 37 on the OLM. NASASpaceflight. August 13, 2025. Retrieved August 13, 2025 – via YouTube.
  37. ^ @NASASpaceflight (August 13, 2025). "Starship Flight 10: Ship 37 has been removed from Pad 1, ahead of a rollback for final prelaunch preps" (Tweet). Retrieved August 13, 2025 – via Twitter.
  38. ^ 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.
  39. ^ The Final Days of the Starbase High Bay. NASASpaceflight. March 23, 2025. Event occurs at 4:15. Retrieved March 24, 2025 – via YouTube.
  40. ^ @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" (Tweet). Retrieved June 4, 2025 – via Twitter.
  41. ^ SCRUB: SpaceX Performs Static Fire of Booster 16 for Starship Flight 10. NASASpaceflight. June 5, 2025. Archived from the original on June 9, 2025. Retrieved June 5, 2025 – via YouTube.
  42. ^ Second Attempt: SpaceX Performs Static Fire of Booster 16 for Starship Flight 10. NASASpaceflight. June 6, 2025. Retrieved June 6, 2025 – via YouTube.
  43. ^ Priel, Elisar [@ENNEPS] (June 8, 2025). "Four Days after it departed for its successful static fire test, Starship B16 has returned to Mega Bay 1, for the next stage in the preflight preparations ahead of flight 10, potentially as soon as later this month" (Tweet). Retrieved June 8, 2025 – via Twitter.
  44. ^ Weber, Ryan (August 23, 2025). "Starship scrubs Flight 10 in penultimate Block 2 test". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved August 24, 2025.
  45. ^ "SpaceX". SpaceX. Archived from the original on August 24, 2025. Retrieved August 24, 2025.
  46. ^ SpaceX [@SpaceX] (August 25, 2025). "Counting down to Starship's tenth flight test. Weather is currently 55% favorable for launch at the start of the window" (Tweet). Retrieved August 25, 2025 – via Twitter.
  47. ^ SpaceX [@SpaceX] (August 25, 2025). "Standing down from today's flight test attempt due to weather. Starship team is determining the next best available opportunity to fly" (Tweet). Retrieved August 26, 2025 – via Twitter.
  48. ^ SpaceX Starship Flight 10 - Second Attempt. NASASpaceflight. August 25, 2025. Retrieved August 25, 2025 – via YouTube.
  49. ^ @SpaceX (August 26, 2025). "The Starship team is go for prop load. Weather is now 55% favorable for liftoff at the opening of the launch window" (Tweet). Retrieved August 26, 2025 – via Twitter.
  50. ^ a b c d "Starship's Tenth Flight Test". SpaceX. August 15, 2025. Archived from the original on August 15, 2025. Retrieved August 15, 2025.
  51. ^ a b "Flight 9 and Ship 36 report". SpaceX. August 15, 2025. Archived from the original on July 29, 2025. Retrieved August 15, 2025.
  52. ^ Weber, Ryan (September 5, 2025). "Ten flights in, the Starship Program has had successes and failures". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Starship_flight_test_10&oldid=1319220089"