B12 |
Megabay 1 |
Pending scrapping? |
Cryo x2, Static fire Jul 15th. Full stack cryo tests Sep 23rd and Oct 7th. FTS installed Oct 9th. Launched as IFT-5 on Oct 13, returned to launch site for successful chopstick catch. Moved to Megabay 1 Oct 15th. |
B15-2 |
Megabay 1 |
Pending FTS install |
Stacked from July to September. Methane tank cryo test Dec 27th, full cryo test Dec 28th. Static fired Feb 9th. Launched and landed Mar 6th. Static fired Sep 7th. |
B16 |
Gulf of Mexico |
Destroyed |
Stacking completed by Dec 26th. Cryo tested Feb 28th. Static fired Jun 6th. FTS potentially installed Jun 18th. Hot staging adapter removed Jun 19th. FTS installed Aug 17th. Rolled out to launch site Aug 21st. Launched on 2025-08-26, destroyed on impact following a successful landing burn. |
B17 |
Rocket Garden |
Pending engine install |
Parts spotted. First two sections moved to Megabay 1 Jan 4th. Fully stacked by Apr 7th. Cryo tested Apr 9th. |
B18.1 / Test Tank 17 |
Massey's |
Cryo testing |
Test article for Booster v3. Parts spotted Feb 24th, Apr 21. Cryo tested Jun 2nd and 3rd. |
B18.3 |
Massey's |
Testing |
Parts spotted Aug 27th. Moved to Massey's Sep 20th. |
B18 |
Megabay 1 |
Stacking |
Parts spotted May 19th. |
B19 |
Starfactory |
Stacking |
Parts spotted Aug 11th. |
Flight 11 speculation ...
Any chance they put some real Starlink satellites on board (and go all the way to orbit in order to deploy them)?
Any chance they try to land Stage 2 on land, on its skirt? So that they can properly inspect the heat shield (etc.)
Any chance they go orbital regardless? I can't think of much reason why they would. I'm assuming they're already very confident that Starship is capable of getting to orbit, but perhaps actually doing it would let them test a full deorbit burn?
I suppose going orbital is a possibility for Flight 11, but I'm not sure that operational Starlink deployments or longer in-space raptor burns are a priority right now.
I highly doubt they attempt a land landing on the skirt. As the goal is ultimately to catch the ship with the chopsticks, I'm not sure if they would learn enough from it to make it worth the hassle. The heatshield in its current form is probably "good enough" to attempt a chopsticks catch in a few more flights, at which point they can inspect the ship at their leisure back at Starbase.
Landing on Uluru would be pretty funny, and reminiscent of the ship from Close Encounters, which landed on that other rock. Not sure if the top of Uluru is flat enough though.