The tenth flight test of SpaceX's Starship was initially scheduled for Sunday, August 24, 2025, with a launch window opening at 6:30 p.m. CT (7:30 p.m. ET, 2330 GMT) from Starbase in South Texas. However, the launch was scrubbed due to an issue with ground systems, and SpaceX is now targeting no earlier than Monday, August 25, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. ET (6:30 p.m. CT, 23:30 GMT) with a 60-minute launch window. The schedule remains dynamic, subject to weather and technical readiness, with backup opportunities on August 26, 2025, if needed.
Mission Program and Objectives
The Starship Flight 10 mission, utilizing Ship 37 and Booster 16, aims to advance SpaceX’s development of a fully reusable launch system critical for NASA’s Artemis program and future Mars missions. Key objectives include:
Super Heavy Booster (Booster 16):
- Perform multiple landing burn tests, including a controlled flip maneuver post-separation to optimize propellant use for heavier payloads.
- Intentionally disable one of the three center engines during the landing burn to test a backup engine’s capability, transitioning to a two-engine configuration for a hover test before splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico (referred to as the Gulf of America in some sources).
Starship Upper Stage (Ship 37):
- Attempt to deploy eight Starlink satellite simulators using a “Pez dispenser” system, a goal unachieved in prior flights due to payload door issues. These simulators will follow the same suborbital trajectory and are expected to burn up on reentry.
- Conduct an in-space Raptor engine relight to simulate orbital maneuvers critical for future missions.
- Test reentry systems with modifications, including:
- Removal of some thermal protection tiles to expose vulnerable areas.
- Testing new metallic tile designs, including one with active cooling.
- Evaluating catch fittings for thermal and structural performance.
- Adjusting tile lines to address hot spots observed in Flight 6.
- Push the structural limits of the upper stage’s rear flaps during maximum entry dynamic pressure to gather critical reentry data.
Overall Goals:
- The mission builds on lessons from previous failures, including Flight 9’s fuel tank pressurization issues and a June 2025 test stand explosion of Ship 36. SpaceX has implemented hardware changes, such as enhanced heat shields and updated composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs), to improve reliability.
- Data collected will refine Starship’s design for future orbital missions, in-space refueling, and eventual crewed lunar and Martian landings.
Viewing and Context
- A live webcast will start approximately 30 minutes before liftoff on SpaceX’s website, X account (@SpaceX), and the X TV app.
- Public viewing is possible from Isla Blanca Park or Port Isabel, Texas, but Starbase itself is not open for launch viewing.
- This test follows three failed 2025 flights and a June explosion, making it a critical step toward achieving full reusability and supporting NASA’s 2027 Artemis 3 lunar landing timeline.
For real-time updates, check SpaceX’s X account or website, as schedules may shift.
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