Starship flight test 10

Starship flight test 10 was the tenth flight test of a SpaceX Starship launch system, utilizing Booster 16 and Ship 37.^[2][3][4]

Originally scheduled for no earlier than (NET) 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.^[5]

The first launch attempt was scrubbed due to ground support equipment issues,^[6][7] while the second was called off due to the presence of anvil clouds near the launch site.^[8] A third, ultimately successful launch attempt occurred on August 26, 2025 at 23:30 UTC (6:30 pm CDT)

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.

Flight test 8 ended in a similar failure when an explosion in the aft section during ascent destroyed the vehicle.^[13] An internal investigation identified a hardware failure in one of the central Raptor engines as the probable cause.^[14]

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 intended.^[9][10] The FAA closed its investigation into the flight on August 15, 2025, clearing the way for flight test 10.^[15]

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'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 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.

The mission profile for Flight 10 is nearly identical to that of Flight 9, with most of the same objectives.^[47] 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 10. One of the booster's engines shut down shortly after launch, but it is unclear if this was commanded or not. After completing its burn, the booster hovered briefly over the ocean before cutting power and splashing down in the Gulf of Mexico, exploding on impact.^[47] The descent used a less aggressive angle of attack than the one flown by Booster 14-2 during the previous mission.^[48]

Ship 37 carried and successfully deployed eight Starlink mass simulators, and successfully conducted a brief in-space Raptor engine relight test over Africa. During reentry, at T+00:47:00.00 and an altitude of approximately 90km, an explosion of undetermined origin took place within the engine compartment. Despite this, and some burn-through the inner trailing edge of the aft flaps, Ship 37 survived re-entry. After completing its objectives, the ship successfully splashed down in the Indian Ocean, exploding after landing and tipping over into the water.^[47]