SpaceX Starship (spacecraft)

Starship

Starship prototype SN20 at the launch site; the distinctive stainless steel structure is visible as well as the edges of the dark thermal protection tiles that cover the windward side of the vehicle.
Manufacturer	SpaceX
Country of origin	United States
Operator	SpaceX
Applications	Crew and cargo interplanetary transport Refueling operations Point-to-point transport on Earth
Website	spacex.com/vehicles/starship
Specifications
Spacecraft type	Crewed, reusable
Payload capacity	200,000 kg (440,000 lb) (planned)[1]
Crew capacity	Up to 100 (planned)
Volume	1,000 m3 (35,000 cu ft) (planned)
Wingspan	17 m (56 ft)
Production
Status	In development
Launched	9
Retired	3
Failed	5 Block 1: 2 (FT 2, FT 3) Block 2: 4 (FT 7, FT 8, FT 9, Static Fire (S36))
Lost	1 Block 1: 1 (FT 1) Block 2: 0
Maiden launch	20 April 2023
Related spacecraft
Derivatives	Starship HLS
Flown with	SpaceX Super Heavy
Stage info Second stage – Starship Height Block 1: 50.3 m (165 ft) Block 2: 52.1 m (171 ft) Diameter 9 m (30 ft) Empty mass Block 1: ~100 t (220,000 lb)[2] Block 2: 85 t (187,000 lb)[3] Gross mass Block 1: ~1,300 t (2,900,000 lb) Block 2: 1,585 t (3,494,000 lb) [a] Propellant mass Block 1: 1,200 t (2,600,000 lb) Block 2: 1,500 t (3,300,000 lb) Powered by 3 × Raptor engines 3 × Raptor vacuum engines Maximum thrust 12,300 kN (2,800,000 lbf) Specific impulse SL: 327 s (3.21 km/s) vac: 380 s (3.7 km/s) Propellant CH4 / LOX

Starship is a spacecraft and second stage^[4] under development by American aerospace company SpaceX. Stacked atop its booster, Super Heavy, the pair compose SpaceX's super heavy-lift space vehicle, also called Starship. The spacecraft is designed to transport both crew and cargo to a variety of destinations, including Earth orbit, the Moon, and Mars. It is designed to be reusable and capable of landing propulsively by firing its engines to perform a controlled descent^[5] into the arms of a tower on Earth or with landing legs on other planetary bodies.^[6] It is intended to enable long-duration interplanetary flights with a crew of up to 100 people.^[4] It is also claimed by SpaceX to be capable of enabling travel to anywhere on Earth in under an hour.^[7] Furthermore, it has been proposed to be used to refuel other Starship spacecraft, enabling them to reach higher orbits and other space destinations. Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, estimated in a tweet that eight launches would be needed to completely refuel a Starship in low Earth orbit.^[8] However, some estimates include as many as twenty refueling flights.^[9]

Development began in 2012, when Musk described a plan to build a reusable launch vehicle with substantially greater capabilities than the Falcon 9 and the planned Falcon Heavy. The rocket evolved through many design and name changes. On July 25, 2019, the Starhopper prototype performed the first successful flight at SpaceX Starbase near Boca Chica, Texas.^[10] In May 2021, the SN15 prototype became the first full-size test spacecraft to take off and land successfully.^[11] On April 20, 2023, Starship 24 performed the first full flight test on top of a Super Heavy booster, followed by a second test on November 18, 2023, when Starship 25 successfully completed hot staging and passed the Kármán line, becoming the first Starship to reach space as well as the heaviest object to ever reach space, before exploding at 148 km.^[12][13] As of March 2025^[update], SpaceX has conducted six more flight tests of Starship, successfully achieving orbital velocities and gradually testing the atmospheric reentry and vertical landing capabilities of the vehicle by performing controlled splashdowns into the Indian Ocean.^[14] In April 2024, Elon Musk announced two new versions of Starship, Block 2 and Block 3. Both versions are expected to be taller, and have increased thrust.^[1]

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