Timeline of SpaceX Starship flight tests—and what happened
ORLANDO, Fla. - A series of test flights are being conducted for SpaceX's Starship – a next-generation spacecraft being developed for deep-space missions.
On April 20, 2023 was the first flight test, and as of Thursday, eight test flights have been conducted.
Timeline
Here's a look at how each SpaceX test flight has resulted.
SpaceX's eighth Starship test flight ended in failure after the rocket lost engines and control before exploding off Florida's coast. The incident has prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to order ground stops for multiple airports.
The launch, which took place on March 6, initially succeeded in separating Starship from the Super Heavy booster. However, eight minutes into the flight, the spacecraft began losing altitude control. SpaceX engineers lost contact with the vehicle before the ascent phase was complete.
Several minutes later, reports and footage from social media appeared to show the Starship exploding off Florida's Atlantic Coast, which SpaceX described as "a rapid unscheduled disassembly," and contact was lost.
As a result of the incident, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered ground stops for multiple airports, including Orlando International Airport (MC), Miami International Airport (MIA), Palm Beach International Airport (PBI), and Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport (FLL).
Despite the failure, SpaceX's launch tower, known as Mechazilla, successfully caught the returning Super Heavy booster for the third time. The company will conduct a review before revealing the cause of the failure.
SpaceX's Starship Flight 7, launched on Jan. 16, suffered a mid-flight failure, breaking apart over the Atlantic Ocean and scattering debris over the Turks and Caicos Islands. While the Super Heavy booster successfully landed, the Starship upper stage was unable to complete its planned satellite deployment and splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
SpaceX's investigation found that a harmonic response caused excessive stress on the propulsion system, leading to propellant leaks and sustained fires.
"Preliminary indication is that we had an oxygen/fuel leak in the cavity above the ship engine firewall that was large enough to build pressure in excess of the vent capacity," SpaceX CEO Elon Musk posted on X.
He added that future Starships will include fire suppression and increased venting to prevent similar failures.
The FAA has cleared SpaceX to launch Starship Flight 8, which could lift off as early as Feb. 28, Reuters reported.
SpaceX launched Starship Flight 6 from Boca Chica, Texas, on Nov. 19, 2024, marking another test for the world's most powerful rocket.
While the Starship upper stage successfully reached space and simulated a landing in the Indian Ocean, its Super Heavy booster failed to return as planned, instead splashing down in the Gulf of Mexico–a sign that something went wrong.
A live stream captured the booster exploding into a fireball after splashing down. SpaceX said the booster initially followed its descent path but "tripped a commit criteria," forcing a water landing. Engineers had also removed 2,100 heat shield tiles to test Starship's durability.
Despite the setback, SpaceX called the mission a success, providing valuable data for future flights.
On Oct. 13, 2024, SpaceX launched its 5th test flight.
This was the very first (and successful) attempt to catch the returning booster with the launch tower's metal arms, which have been dubbed "chopsticks."
"The tower has caught the rocket!!" Musk announced via X. "Big step towards making life multiplanetary was made today."
The rest of the spacecraft made a controlled landing in the Indian Ocean, adding to the day's achievement.
Starship's fourth flight test launched on June 6, 2024.
The goal of this flight was to "go farther than any previous test before," according to the SpaceX website.
The ship launched successfully from Starbase in Texas and returned to Earth without exploding.
The three previous flight demos ended in explosions. This time, the rocket and the spacecraft managed to splash down in a controlled fashion, making the hourlong flight the longest and most successful yet.
"Despite loss of many tiles and a damaged flap, Starship made it all the way to a soft landing in the ocean!" Musk said via X at the time.
The third integrated flight test of Starship Super Heavy roared to life from its tower in Boca Chica, Texas, in March 2024. Communication with both Starship and a system designed to track the craft was lost about an hour after liftoff, and the craft never returned to Earth.
"We are making the call now that we have lost Ship 28," Dan Hout, a spokesperson for SpaceX, said during the live broadcast of the launch.
The launch system, consisting of 39 Raptor engines, provided the necessary thrust to carry the spacecraft over the Gulf of Mexico. After igniting the Raptor engines, Super Heavy executed a flip maneuver while Starship entered a coast phase before reentry.
The plan was for both Starship and the rocket that carried it to space to splash down in the Indian Ocean, but that never happened.
"Obviously, there's a lot to go through," Hout said. "Everyone wants to know right off the bat what happened. It takes us a little bit of time, but I can assure you that as soon as we start finding things out, we're going to let everybody know."
SpaceX launched its Starship rocket for its second test flight in Nov. 2023, but the booster exploded after separating and the spacecraft apparently detonated after reaching space.
SpaceX officials said the mega rocket successfully lifted off from Boca Chica, Texas. The booster then successfully separated from the spacecraft before shortly experiencing a "rapid unscheduled disassembly" and exploding.
"With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today's test will help us improve Starship's reliability as SpaceX seeks to make life multiplanetary," SpaceX wrote.
The first test flight in April 2023 ended with an epic explosion 24 miles over the Gulf of Mexico when SpaceX launched Starship for the first time.
The rocket took off from a launchpad in South Texas but exploded midair before stage separation.
The vehicle experienced multiple engines out during the flight test, lost altitude, and began to tumble. The flight termination system was commanded on both the booster and ship.
Thursday's launch still marked the vehicle's historic first test flight. "As if the flight test was not exciting enough, Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly before stage separation," SpaceX wrote on X.
The Source
The information for this story was provided by FOX35 Orlando, FOX Weather, The Associated Press, SpaceX's X account and website, This story was reported from Los Angeles.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
SpaceX launch of private Ax-4 astronauts postponed indefinitely due to leaky ISS module
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The SpaceX launch of four private astronauts has been delayed again. The Ax-4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) had been scheduled to launch atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Florida's Space Coast on Wednesday morning (June 11), but a propellant leak in the booster nixed that plan. And now, another leak — this one in Ax-4's destination — has further postponed the liftoff. Cosmonauts recently detected a "new pressure signature" in the Zvezda service module, part of the Russian segment of the ISS, NASA officials announced in an update today (June 12). This development isn't exactly a shock; this area first sprang a leak back in 2019, and cosmonauts have been dealing with it ever since, as the recent spot check shows. The cosmonauts "sealed some additional areas of interest and measured the current leak rate," NASA officials wrote in the update. "Following this effort, the segment now is holding pressure." 'The crew aboard the International Space Station is safely conducting normal operations," NASA spokesperson Cheryl Warner said in an emailed statement. "We're assessing this latest update and will provide additional information as available.' Still, the agency and Axiom Space, the Houston company that organized Ax-4, decided that grounding the mission for now is the prudent course of action. Doing so "provides additional time for NASA and Roscosmos to evaluate the situation and determine whether any additional troubleshooting is necessary," NASA wrote in today's update, referring to Russia's space agency. No new target launch date has been announced. Related stories: — Axiom Space: Building the off-Earth economy — International Space Station: Everything you need to know about the orbital laboratory — Top 'safety risk' for the ISS is a leak that has been ongoing for 5 years, NASA audit finds As its name suggests, Ax-4 will be Axiom's fourth crewed mission to (and from) the ISS. The roughly two-week-long flight will be commanded by record-breaking former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, who is now Axiom's director of human spaceflight. The three other crew members are pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India, Polish mission specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski and Hungarian mission specialist Tibor Kapu. Nobody from India, Poland or Hungary has ever visited the ISS, so this trio will make history when Ax-4 is finally able to get off the pad.
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Brevard rocketing to recovery: Space Coast is one of fastest-growing economies in U.S.
This story is part of America's Evolving Cities, a USA TODAY Network project that takes a close look at four regions across the country and their unique paths to success — and how residents have benefited or suffered along the way. Robin Fisher recalls the gloomy times Brevard County went through in 2010, as the space shuttle program was a year away from ending — a time when the county's nickname of "The Space Coast" was not necessarily a positive thing. Fisher then was a Brevard County commissioner, representing a North Brevard district that includes Titusville — once known as "Space City USA" and "Miracle City," in nods to the space program that grew over decades at nearby Cape Canaveral. He helped organize a "Save Space" community rally that featured a lineup of elected officials, former astronauts and other local leaders aimed at getting the community mobilized for economic tumult amid the loss of 8,000 Kennedy Space Center jobs. The attitude at the time, Fisher recalled, is that "nobody was coming from Washington to save us. We've got to save ourselves." As it turned out, what came in the ensuing years was not as bad as some had feared — at least in the longer term. The end of the space shuttle program after the final flight of Atlantis in July 2011 did trigger extensive layoffs. But, in the ensuing years, commercial space companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin helped fill the vacuum. Largely thanks to SpaceX, Brevard County had a record 93 launches in 2024 — and the Space Force projects this year's total may reach 107 launches. Looking ahead, SpaceX seeks Federal Aviation Administration approval to boost annual Falcon rocket launches to 120 launches a year. And the company is bringing the mighty Starship to the Space Coast, generating at least $1.8 billion in estimated capital investment and 600 new full-time jobs by 2030. Additionally, aerospace and defense companies expanded, as did the health care sector and tourism, with Port Canaveral cementing its place as the world's second-busiest cruise port. "The economy is quite more diverse" now, said Fisher, who owns a State Farm insurance agency and is an investor in small office buildings in Titusville. "No doubt about it. We've put ourselves in a good position." So much so that a new national study puts Brevard County's economy as one of the fastest-growing in the country for midsized communities, and Brevard is projected to continue to have a high ranking in the future. The recently released study by the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise at the University of North Carolina and Fifth Third Bank found that Brevard had the highest growth rate among 100 midsized communities during the past five years, as measured by gross domestic product, as well as the second-highest growth rate over the last 10 years. For the coming year, the study ranks Brevard's projected growth at No. 10 in the country among 100 midsized areas, although the study's co-author says Brevard has the potential to rank even higher when the final numbers come in. Gross domestic product is a measure of the aggregate value of an area's goods and services, and is considered a comprehensive indicator of economic activity. Brevard was the only Florida community to be ranked in the Top 10 on either of the separate lists of projected growth for the 50 largest areas or the 100 midsized areas in the country. Two Texas communities topped those lists — Austin for largest areas and Amarillo for midsized areas. Brevard County "has really outperformed" other areas of the country, said the study's co-author, Gerald Cohen, a research professor of finance and chief economist of the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise. "This is an economy that is growing quite rapidly." Cohen said Brevard benefited from its science, technology and manufacturing sectors, as well as the presence of Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Patrick Space Force Base. Cohen said, although Brevard is ranked as No. 10 out of 100 midsized communities in the study for projected growth this year, he sees the area as having the potential to be in the Top 3 when all is said and done. Although Cohen cautions that there is increasing uncertainty overall in the U.S. economy because of the national economic policy on tariffs and other factors, he added that, for Brevard, "the future looks very bright." Anne Conroy-Baiter, president and CEO of the Melbourne Regional Chamber, said Brevard's more diverse business sectors are helping the community be insulated from national economic ups and downs. She cited, for example, the growth of aerospace and defense companies in the Melbourne and Palm Bay areas, as well as the highly rated higher-education institutions like Florida Institute of Technology and Eastern Florida State College. A wild card is the potential move of NASA headquarters from Washington to the Space Coast, something that is being suggested by state and local officials. Conroy-Baiter said the health care industry also is strong in Brevard — and growing. Although Orlando Health in April closed the run-down, 298-bed Rockledge Hospital just six months after purchasing it in October as part of Steward Health Care's bankruptcy proceedings, Orlando Health plans a $750 million expansion in Brevard County. That includes $600 million on a new hospital; $30 million each for three new stand-alone emergency departments in north, central and south Brevard; and $60 million on new medical pavilions, physician practices, and other facilities and services — all at still-to-be-announced locations. Meanwhile, Suntree-based Health First is building a new $410 million, 120-bed hospital off State Road 520 on Merritt Island that is scheduled to open in early-2027 to replace its Cape Canaveral Hospital in Cocoa Beach. Health First also plans to open two new free-standing emergency departments, including one in Rockledge, as well as expand facilities at its existing full-service hospitals. "Health First continues to thrive" in Brevard, Conroy-Baiter said, while Titusville-based Parrish Healthcare is planning its own expansions in North Brevard. Education and health care combined account for 16% of the jobs in Brevard, making that one of the top job-creating sectors, according to the Kenan Institute/Fifth Third study. Other large employment sectors include trade and transportation, including retailing (16%); business services, including scientific and technical services (15%); manufacturing (13%); and leisure and hospitality (12%). Conroy-Baiter said Brevard County also is being helped by a trend sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic. As more workers are finding that they can work remotely, some are opting to move to Brevard while continuing to work for a company whose operations are elsewhere. Conroy-Baiter said Viera seems to be "the place of choice" for many newcomers to the area, with its more urban feel, while being not far from the beaches. Eva Rey, senior vice president for community management and communications at The Viera Co., one of Florida's larger master-planned communities, describes Brevard County as being in "a great economic bubble" — in a positive way. She says the Space Coast is insulated from downturns by its relatively diverse components, encompassing such sectors as space, aerospace, defense, health and tourism. That helps keep the county somewhat protected from national and regional economic concerns like interest rates, inflation and rising property-insurance rates. "Overall, we do have a positive outlook," Rey said, with Viera itself projected to double in population from the current figure of about 38,700 to about 77,400 by 2045. That would rank the unincorporated community of Viera — if it were a city — as among the largest of Brevard's 16 cities and towns, based on population. The largest currently are Palm Bay (2024 population estimated at 140,199), Melbourne (87,846) and Titusville (50,462). Keith Winsten, CEO of the Brevard Zoo in Viera, moved to Viera more than 20 years ago from suburban Chicago to take a job at the zoo. He said he's not surprised by the growth in the area and by the strong economy. "I think we rose from the ashes, really," after the end of the space shuttle program, Winsten said. "Our community has a thriving economy. People are coming here from all over the country. I'm bullish on Brevard County." But Winsten cautions that, with the growth, community leaders also must concentrate on maintaining the area's qualify of life. That includes investing in such things as improving conditions in the Indian River Lagoon; finding ways to make housing more affordable; protecting wild natural spaces; and making sure roads, sewage systems and other infrastructure are able to handle the growing population counts. "If we stop investing" in quality-of-life issues, Winsten said, "then I will have really big concerns." Florida has been investing in Brevard, with recent installments toward the Indian River Lagoon. In March, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced $100 million in state grants for 25 projects to improve water quality in the lagoon, including improvements to sewer plants and converting neighborhoods on septic tanks to central-sewer hookups. That money is meant, in part, to bolster local efforts to heal the lagoon as decades of pollution from septic tanks, sewage and runoff from fertilizer-fueled toxic algal blooms that killed most of the lagoon's seagrass and resulted in mass manatee die-offs in recent years. Brevard voters approved a half-percent sales tax in 2016 to help pay for lagoon cleanups. Voters also have chosen by wide margins to tax themselves multiple times over the years to buy environmentally endangered lands along the mainland and beachside. Recalling the end of the space shuttle program and reflecting of what the Space Coast economy is now, Micah Loyd, owner of Titusville-based Loyd Contracting, said: "We've kind of come back a long ways, and we're an area of innovation and growth." The commercial space companies have "put us back on the map," said Loyd, who also is a Canaveral Port Authority commissioner and a former member of the North Brevard Economic Development Zone Special District Board. "We're in that sweet spot. The economic outlook is very good. We're in a much better place than we were in 2011." Lynda Weatherman is president and CEO of the Economic Development Commission of Florida's Space Coast, whose marketing campaign for the Space Coast has the theme of "Tomorrow Launches Here." Weatherman cited the rapid growth of space and aerospace manufacturing and assembly since Atlantis' final flight as a "paradigm shift," as Brevard evolved from its former, simpler role as merely America's rocket launch site. As landmark economic events that helped set Brevard on its growth trajectory, she pointed to the EDC's efforts to recruit Embraer, which built its North American jet-building campus at Melbourne Orlando International Airport, and Lockheed Martin, which landed NASA's Orion crewed spacecraft program for assembly and checkout services. 'This is one of the most profound things about this community of many things that are profound: We have the intellectual business infrastructure of a major metropolis. Yet we do it in a small, scalable community. So that makes us unique," Weatherman said. 'Everything that you point to that a bigger metropolis would have: Fortune 500 companies. A port — much less a spaceport. Airports. It's right here. I don't think there's many places that have that combination," Weatherman said. Dave Berman is business editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Berman at dberman@ on X at @bydaveberman and on Facebook at Rick Neale is a space reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Neale at Rneale@ Twitter/X: @RickNeale1 Jim Waymer is an environmental reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact him at 321-261-5903 or at jwaymer@ This article originally appeared on Florida Today: How Brevard rocketed to recovery to become national economic powerhouse Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
‘This Is the Start of Tesla's Path to $2T,' Says Wedbush Analyst Dan Ives
Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) is one of the 8 Biggest EV Stocks to Watch in 2025. Its shares surged 1.7%, continuing their three-day upswing, following CEO Elon Musk's admission that his remarks regarding President Trump 'went too far.' 'This Is the Start of Tesla's Path to $2T,' Says Wedbush Analyst Dan Ives Since the June 5 low, the company has recovered 23% of its market value due to the apology. Given that investor sentiment had been negatively impacted by regulatory uncertainty resulting from the disagreement, Musk's action seems to be an attempt to defuse tensions with the U.S. government. Musk has been the target of vandalism at Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) dealerships and public outrage since he was designated as a 'special government employee' with a focus on reducing waste. The dispute with Trump had become a major burden, causing concerns about potential regulatory obstacles to the firm's autonomous driving ambitions. Analyst Dan Ives of Wedbush described the partnership as 'mutually necessary,' particularly as Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) gets ready to introduce its robotaxi service in Austin on June 22. Ives believes the decision is the first step toward a $2 trillion valuation for the business, which will be fueled by autonomy and the company's impending Cybercab launch. While we acknowledge the potential of TSLA as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 10 High-Growth EV Stocks to Invest In and 13 Best Car Stocks to Buy in 2025. Disclosure. None.
