Starship flight test 10
{{Short description|Planned launch of SpaceX launch vehicle}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}}
{{infobox spaceflight
| name = Starship flight test 10
| names_list =
| image =
| image_caption =
| mission_type = Flight test
| operator = SpaceX
| spacecraft = Starship Ship 36{{Cite web |last=Weber |first=Ryan |date=2025-01-29 |title=Following Flight 7 SpaceX line up future Starships |url=https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2025/01/following-flight-7-starship-flight-8/ |access-date=2025-04-06 |website=NASASpaceFlight.com |language=en-US}}
| spacecraft_type = Starship (Block 2)
| manufacturer = SpaceX
| launch_date = {{Abbr|NET|No Earlier Than}} June 2025{{cite web |url=https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1927531406017601915 |title=Launch cadence for next 3 flights will be faster, at approximately 1 every 3 to 4 weeks. |first=Elon |last=Musk |date=27 May 2025 |access-date=28 May 2025 |via=Twitter}}
| launch_rocket = Super Heavy (Block 2, B16-1){{cite news |title=🚀 SECO Achieved + Elon Musk’s 2026 Mars Plan! {{!}} Starbase Update |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9eCIdYeSdg |last=NASASpaceflight |access-date=2 June 2025 |date=2 June 2025 |via=YouTube}}
| launch_site = Starbase, OLP-A
| destroyed =
| landing_date =
| landing_site = {{Unbulleted list
| Super Heavy: Starbase, OLP-A (planned), Gulf of Mexico (contingency)
| Ship: Starbase, OLP-B or Indian Ocean (planned), Gulf of Mexico (contingency)}}
| insignia =
| insignia_caption = Mission patch
| programme = SpaceX Starship flight tests
| previous_mission = Flight 9
| next_mission = Flight 11
}}
Starship flight test 10 will be the tenth flight test of a SpaceX Starship launch vehicle. Ship 36 and Booster 16 will fly on this test flight.{{Cite web |last=Weber |first=Ryan |date=2025-01-29 |title=Following Flight 7 SpaceX line up future Starships |url=https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2025/01/following-flight-7-starship-flight-8/ |access-date=2025-04-06 |website=NASASpaceFlight.com |language=en-US}}{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM0rL0DqORY |title=Starship Flight 9 Preps, Chopstick Testing, and Pad B Progress {{!}} Starbase Update |date=2025-04-21 |last=NASASpaceflight |time=4:10 |access-date=2025-04-22 |via=YouTube}} As of May 2025, the flight profile is unknown. Because of incidents during Flight 9, it is likely Flight 10's ship will land in the Indian Ocean, but a landing at Starbase is possible.{{cite web |date=3 April 2025 |title=Raptorside Replay: April 3rd, 2025 |website=YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj1hPJ2Fy1Q |access-date=5 April 2025}}
Background
= Vehicle testing ahead of launch =
== Ship 36 ==
Ship 36 was assembled in Mega Bay 2 throughout February and March 2025.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=um-lDpo89hg |title=Despite Flight 8's Failure, SpaceX Races Ahead Towards Mars {{!}} Starbase Update |date=2025-03-18 |last=NASASpaceflight |time=17:00 |access-date=2025-03-20 |via=YouTube}} It was rolled out to the Massey's test site for cryogenic testing on April 26.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxwcfEr8LlE |title=Wait that's Ship 36 {{!}} Starbase Update |date=2025-04-28 |last=NASASpaceflight |access-date=2025-04-29 |via=YouTube}}{{Cite web |date=April 26, 2025 |title=Making the turn into Masseys. |url=https://x.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1916230700363087981 |access-date=April 26, 2025 |website=X (formerly Twitter)}} It conducted a full cryogenic test on April 27.{{Cite web |last=Priel |first=Elisar |date=April 27, 2025 |title=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. |url=https://x.com/i/status/1916610530330001738 |archive-url= |access-date=April 28, 2025 |website=Twitter}} It was rolled back to Mega Bay 2 for engine installation on April 29.{{Cite web |last=Priel |first=Elisar |date=April 29, 2025 |title=Ship 36 rolling back right now at Starbase @NASASpaceflight |url=https://x.com/RoughRidersShow/status/1917055890781311056 |access-date=April 29, 2025 |website=}}
== Booster 16 ==
Booster 16 conducted a cryogenic test on February 28,{{Cite tweet |number=1895811001242837257 |user=ENNEPS |title=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. |first=Elisar |last=Priel |date=March 1, 2025 |access-date=March 1, 2025 |website=Twitter}} before being rolled back to the production site on March 20 for engine installation.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEHs9Sgf_2M&t=255s |title=The Final Days of the Starbase High Bay {{!}} SpaceX Boca Chica |date=2025-03-23 |last=NASASpaceflight |time=4:15 |access-date=2025-03-24 |via=YouTube}} It rolled out to the launch site on June 3 for static fire testing.{{Cite web |url=https://x.com/LabPadre/status/1930193176792359279 |title=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. |last=LabPadre |date=2025-06-04 |access-date=2025-06-04}} On June 5, it began filling with propellant ahead of a static fire test. The test was aborted just after the booster had completed propellant loading, with B16 being de-tanked shortly after.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgLeUxq1yVY |title=SCRUB: SpaceX Performs Static Fire of Booster 16 for Starship Flight 10 |last=NASASpaceflight |date=2025-06-05 |access-date=2025-06-05 |via=YouTube}} Booster 16 then completed an 8 second duration static fire on June 6.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roczr21ELFc |title=
Second Attempt: SpaceX Performs Static Fire of Booster 16 for Starship Flight 10 |date=2025-06-06 |last=NASASpaceflight |access-date=2025-06-06 |via=YouTube}}{{Cite tweet |number=1931101519601963340 |title=Full duration static fire of all 33 Raptor engines on the Super Heavy booster ahead of Starship's next flight test |user=SpaceX |access-date=2025-06-06}} It was then lifted off the OLM on June 7 and rolled back to MB1 on June 8.
= Impact of Flights 7, 8 and 9 =
SpaceX has suffered a succession of flight test failures since Flight 7.{{Cite web |date=2025-05-27 |title=Elon Musk's SpaceX Starship Explodes Again But Orbits For 46 Minutes|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiecartereurope/2025/05/28/elon-musks-spacex-starship-explodes-again-but-orbits-for-46-minutes/ |access-date=2025-05-27 |website=Forbes.com}}{{Cite web |date=2025-05-27 |title=EAfter back-to-back explosions, new SpaceX mega rocket Starship tumbles out of control and breaks into pieces|url=https://fortune.com/2025/05/28/explosions-spacex-mega-rocket-starship-tumbles-out-of-control-breaks-pieces/ |access-date=2025-05-27 |website=Fortune.com}} During Flight 7 on January 16, 2025, initial data indicated that a fire occurred mid-flight, resulting in the destruction of the vehicle. The failures resulted in a U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigation that delayed Flight 8.{{Cite web |date=February 24, 2025 |url=https://www.spacex.com/updates/#flight-7-report |title=New Year. New Ship. New Lessons. |access-date=2025-02-25 |website=SpaceX.com}}{{Cite web |author=Dunn |first=Marcia |date=2025-01-16 |title=SpaceX Suspects Fire During Starship Flight 7 Linked to Pressure Issues |url=https://apnews.com/article/spacex-starship-elon-musk-launch-accident-e69d04467e2def65d2bc6b0e9645d715#:~:text=CAPE%20CANAVERAL%2C%20Fla.%20%28AP%29%20%E2%80%94%20SpaceX%20suspects%20a,pressure%20in%20the%20cavity%20above%20the%20engine%20firewall |access-date=2025-01-18 |website=Associated Press |language=en-US}}
During Flight 8, four engines shut down approximately 30 seconds before the planned SECO, resulting in loss of control, telemetry, and subsequent vehicle burnout.{{Cite web |last=Wall |first=Mike |date=2025-03-07 |title=Watch fiery SpaceX Starship Flight 8 debris rain down over The Bahamas (video) |url=https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/watch-fiery-spacex-starship-flight-8-debris-rain-down-over-the-bahamas-video |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=Space.com |language=en}} The FAA opened an investigation into the crash,{{Cite web |last=Pearlman |first=Robert Z. |date=2025-03-08 |title=FAA investigating SpaceX Starship Flight 8 explosion that disrupted commercial flights |url=https://www.space.com/space-exploration/missions/faa-investigating-spacex-starship-flight-8-explosion-that-disrupted-commercial-flights |access-date=2025-03-10 |website=Space.com |language=en}} but on May 22, the FAA determined that the Flight 8 failure did not impact public safety.{{Cite web |last=Beil |first=Adrian |date=May 22, 2025 |title=The @FAANews has given the go for flight 9 of Starship |url=https://x.com/bccarcounters/status/1925571474066157674 |access-date=May 22, 2025 |website=Twitter}}
On Flight 9, the vehicle reached its intended trajectory, but several failures occurred, including a loss of attitude control, which prevented Starship from achieving most of its objectives, and it disintegrated during reentry. It is not known at this time whether the failure in Flight 9 could affect the schedule of subsequent tests.