07/23/25 9:00am Starship takes off for its eighth flight on March 6 at its test site in Boca Chica, Texas. Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images On June 19, a Starship prototype exploded on the launch pad at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Texas during preparations for what would be its tenth test flight. After three consecutive failed orbital attempts this year, the upcoming launch is shaping up to be a pivotal moment in Elon Musk’s vision to send humans to Mars and beyond. Sign Up For Our Daily Newsletter Sign Up See all of our newsletters Since its first orbital test flight in April 2023, Starship has made notable progress but has also suffered high-profile setbacks, keeping the project under close scrutiny. To date, Starship has completed nine orbital test flights, following a series of ground-based trials. Current tests are focused on demonstrating the rocket’s ability to recover its booster, reach target altitudes, deploy payloads and execute controlled landings. All these goals are key to making the vehicle reusable. Standing 403 feet tall when fully stacked, Starship costs an estimated $100 million per launch, according to the Reason Foundation. SpaceX aims to eventually reduce that figure to $10 million. By comparison, NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS)—also designed for deep space missions but built as an expendable rocket—costs about $2 billion per launch. Every Starship prototype built and tested to date: April 3, 2019: The Starhopper prototype climbed one foot in a tethered test hop. April 5, 2019: Starhopper rose three feet in a tethered hop, using the full length of the tether. July 25, 2019: Starhopper jumped to 65 feet (20 meters) in an untethered test flight. Aug. 27, 2019: Starhopper flew even higher, reaching 500 feet (150 meters), slewing sideways before descending slowly to a nearby landing pad. Starhopper was the first prototype of the Starship rocket. Photo by Loren Elliott/Getty Images The MK1 prototype of Starship at SpaceX’s test site in Boca Chika, Texas. Photo by Marie D. De Jesus/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images Nov. 20, 2019: A larger prototype, Mk1, was built but blew its top off during a cryogenic proof test (also known as a pressure stress test), rendering it unusable for flight. May 29, 2020: After earlier prototypes SN1 and SN3 exploded during ground tests, SpaceX found success with SN4, which completed five static fire tests before exploding during the final one. Aug. 5, 2020: SN5 successfully performed a 500-foot (150-meter) flight and landed on a nearby pad. Sept. 3, 2020: SN6 completed another 500-foot test flight. Dec. 9, 2020: SN8, the first prototype with fins and a nose cone, was designed to reach higher altitudes. It ascended to 7.8 miles (12.5 kilometers) but descended too fast and exploded upon landing. Feb. 2, 2021: SN9 flew to 6 miles (10 kilometers) but crashed on landing after one engine failed to ignite. March 3, 2021: SN10 nearly completed a 6-mile flight but crushed its landing legs, causing it to tip and explode minutes after touchdown. March 30, 2021: SN11 successfully reached 6 miles but exploded mid-air during descent. (SpaceX skipped SN12, SN13, and SN14.) May 5, 2021: SN15 successfully completed a high-altitude flight and landed intact. The first test flight debuted the “Super Heavy” booster in a fully integrated rocket. Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP Nov. 18, 2023: The second orbital test flight reached 93 miles (150 kilometers) and became the first Starship to reach outer space, but it exploded before completing its mission. March 14, 2024: The third orbital test flight reached approximately 1,515 feet (462 meters) before destructing ahead of a planned splashdown. June 6, 2024: The fourth orbital flight achieved a full ascent burn and completed a landing burn, concluding with a gentle splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. Oct. 13, 2024: The fifth orbital flight marked the first successful booster recovery, with the booster returning to the launch tower. The flight completed its mission with no engine failures and ended in a planned splashdown in the Indian Ocean. Nov. 19, 2024: During the sixth orbital test, the booster latched onto the catch tower but had to divert for a splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. The ship ignited one of its six engines in space, successfully reentered the atmosphere, and splashed down in the Indian Ocean. During the sixth test, Starship’s booster clipped the launch tower but still accomplished its test objectives. Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images Jan. 16, 2025: The seventh orbital test launched successfully with all six engines ignited, but a fire eight minutes in caused the rocket to explode. March 6, 2025: The ship lost several engines during ascent, leading to a loss of altitude control and communication. It diverted into a controlled area to prevent debris from falling into public spaces. May 27, 2025: The ninth orbital test flight marked the first reuse of a Super Heavy booster. However, the booster exploded unexpectedly, and the ship lost an engine due to a fuel leak. After abandoning its payload deployment attempt, Starship exploded over the Indian Ocean when it failed to properly reposition for reentry.