After the unfortunate events of Starship’s 9th launch and landing test, SpaceX is gearing up for its next flight test at Starbase, Texas.
SpaceX will attempt to launch and land a Starship prototype for the 10th time. Ship 36 upper stage Starship spacecraft and lower stage Super Heavy Booster 16 are nominated for the upcoming Flight 10 launch and landing test (IFT-10).
In Flight 9, SpaceX didn’t attempt to capture the booster on landing. However, according to Starship’s Director of Engineering, Shana Diez, SpaceX will once again attempt to catch Booster 16 in Flight 10.
Booster 16 Static Fire Test
Starship Flight 10 preparations are in full swing at the city of Starbase, Texas. Last week, SpaceX conducted a static fire test on the Flight 10 Super Heavy Booster 16.
The first Booster 16 static fire test was conducted on 6th June while it was mounted on Pad A at Starbase. Elon Musk’s space launch company shared pictures and footage of the static fire test on X (formerly Twitter).
According to SpaceX, the static fire was performed for a full duration, and all 33 engines were ignited during the successful test.
Static fires are pre-flight tests to ensure the integrity of the engines, propellant storage, and de-tanking. These tests provide insights and data to the test vehicle and also expose any technical vulnerabilities before actual flight.
Besides the technical aspects, these static fire tests are a sight to behold. The water blast from the deluge system under the launch pad (OLM) and firing of the huge Raptor engines create a unique scene, and the sound makes it even more exciting.
Flight 10 Starship 36 Updates
SpaceX performed a cryogenic pressure proof test on Flight 10 Starship 36 upper stage on Sunday, 27th April 2025.
Starship 36 or Ship 36 in short, is expected to go through a static fire test in June. SpaceX hasn’t provided a specific date for the Ship 36 static fire test.
Because it’s a 6-engine vehicle and has a comparably lower thrust than the Super Heavy booster with 33 engines, Starship 36 static fire test will be performed on a test stand at the Massey Outpost, Starbase, Texas.
With the unexpected engine failures and technical issues on both Flight 8 and Flight 9 Starship launches, SpaceX is going to take its time for the Flight 10 test. SpaceX is going to make improvements to Ship 36 and Booster 16 to minimize the chances of failures on Flight 10. This is going to take a while, so, Flight 10 shouldn’t be expected in June.
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