SpaceX Starship Development

2026 — Operational Era

Q1 2026

First commercial payload delivered to orbit

Starship achieves 10 flights in a single month

Raptor 3 engine enters mass production

October 2025

First successful orbital refueling demo

Booster catch #5 routine operations

July 2025

Starship selected for Artemis IV lunar landing

HLS variant begins crewed qualification testing

March 2025

IFT-7 achieves full mission profile orbit, deorbit, landing

First tower catch with payload fairing

November 2024

IFT-6 booster caught by chopsticks on first attempt

Ship survives reentry with new heat shield tiles

June 2024

IFT-4 first controlled splashdown of both stages

Raptor engine reaches 350 bar chamber pressure

March 2024

IFT-3 reached orbital velocity, ship lost on reentry

Booster performed successful landing burn over Gulf

November 2023

IFT-2 hot staging successful, ship reached 148km altitude

Booster RUD after stage separation but proved hot staging concept

April 2023

IFT-1 first integrated flight test

Vehicle cleared the tower but RUD at 39km due to engine failures

Launchpad heavily damaged, rebuilt with water deluge system

2022

Booster 7 completes 14-engine static fire

Ship 24 completes 6-engine static fire

Orbital launch tower (Mechazilla) operational

2020-2021

Starship SN8 through SN15 test flights at Boca Chica

SN15 first successful landing May 2021

Multiple high-altitude flight tests prove bellyflop maneuver

2019

Starhopper completes 150m hop test

Full-scale prototype manufacturing begins in Boca Chica