Starship Development Thread January 2026 - sh.itjust.works

SpaceX Starship page [https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/starship/] ## FAQ 1. When next launch? (Flight 12) NET 2026. 1. When previous launch? (Flight 11) Starship flight 11 launched on 2025-10-13 at 23:23 UTC. 1. What was the result? All mission objectives fulfilled. Ship performs successful landing burn and splashdown, despite intentional missing tiles on heatshield. Second successful deployment of Starlink simulators. Booster successfully tested a 13-5-3 engine landing profile. — ## Previous Flights ::: spoiler Click to expand - Flight 1: S24 and B7. First full stack launch, RUD before stage separation. - Flight 2: S25 and B9. Successful stage separation, booster RUD during boostback burn, ship RUD shortly prior to scheduled SECO. - Flight 3: S28 and B10. Booster performs a successful boostback burn, but experiences RUD during landing burn. Ship makes it past SECO, but loses attitude control and is destroyed on reentry. - Flight 4: S29 and B11. First successful booster water landing. Ship survives reentry despite burn-through on forward flap, and performs a successful water landing. - Flight 5: S30 and B12. First booster catch with chopsticks. Ship performs successful water landing. - Flight 6: S31 and B13. Booster offshore divert due to damage to catch tower during launch. Ship performs successful water landing. - Flight 7: S33 and B14-1. First V2 Ship launch. Harmonic oscillation on ship causes RUD before SECO. Booster is caught by chopsticks. - Flight 8: S34 and B15-1. Engine failure on ship causes RUD before SECO. Booster is caught by chopsticks. - Flight 9: S35 and B14-2. First booster reflight. Ship makes it past SECO, but loses attitude control and is destroyed on reentry. Booster RUD upon landing burn startup prior to planned splashdown. - Flight 10: S37 and B16. All mission objectives fulfilled. First V2 ship to make it through reentry to landing burn and splashdown. First successful deployment of Starlink simulators. Booster successfully tested landing without one centre engine, using an engine on the middle ring to compensate. - Flight 11: S38 and B15-2. All mission objectives fulfilled. Ship performs successful landing burn and splashdown, despite intentional missing tiles on heatshield. Second successful deployment of Starlink simulators. Booster successfully tested a 13-5-3 engine landing profile. ::: — ## Quick Links Nerdle Cam [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c212qMUTnEs] | Lab Cam [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWCh3wmKtak] | Sapphire Cam [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LP3m2L_hkA4] | Sentinel Cam [https://www.youtube.com/live/IQV0DlS1Ew0] | Rover Cam [https://www.youtube.com/live/Rg7kw-KLDL8] | Rover 2.0 Cam [https://www.youtube.com/live/tS2PHJmvJzo] | Rocket Ranch Cam [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qw3uaLRrYNY] | Plex Cam [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiKm0TgbVdg] | NSF Starbase Live [https://youtu.be/mhJRzQsLZGg] Starship Dev December [https://sh.itjust.works/post/50847353?sort=New] | Starship Dev November [https://sh.itjust.works/post/49040207?sort=New] | Starship Dev October [https://sh.itjust.works/post/47152878?sort=New] | Starship Dev September [https://sh.itjust.works/post/45249117?sort=New] | Starship Dev August [https://sh.itjust.works/post/43280733?sort=New] | Flight 10 launch thread [https://sh.itjust.works/post/44737872] | Starship Dev July [https://sh.itjust.works/post/41574266?sort=New] Official SpaceX Starship Update Video [https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1776669097490776563] (2024-04-06) — ## Road closures, road delays, and beach closures - City of Starbase website [https://cityofstarbase-texas.com/beach-road-access] - Cameron County website [https://www.cameroncountytx.gov/spacex/] - @bocaroad Mastodon bot [https://botsin.space/@bocaroad] ### Vehicle Status *As of 2025-10-21 Ship | Location | Status | Comment —|—|----|---- S20 | Rocket Garden | Pending scrapping? | Test Tank 16 | Sanchez | Resting | Cryo tested four times between July and September [https://starship-spacex.fandom.com/wiki/Test_Tank_16_(TT16)]. Sliding plates added to the catch points on Jan 27th [https://x.com/VickiCocks15/status/1884376647215808670]. Moved to Sanchez Mar 15th. S38 | Indian Ocean | Destroyed | Parts spotted in December. Nosecone stacked on payload bay as of Mar 28th [https://x.com/StarshipGazer/status/1905816162111262815]. Rolls to Massey’s Jul 28th [https://bsky.app/profile/nasaspaceflight.com/post/3luwzubjmz22t]. Cryo tested Jul 30th [https://bsky.app/profile/nasaspaceflight.com/post/3lvaxg4utck2r]. Rolls back to Megabay 2 Aug 1st [https://bsky.app/profile/nasaspaceflight.com/post/3lvd7ngsg2c2x]. Aft flap installed Aug 25th [https://x.com/VickiCocks15/status/1960048563553194210]. Static fired Sep 22nd [https://bsky.app/profile/nasaspaceflight.com/post/3lzhioyl5tc23]. Launched on Oct 13th, destroyed on impact following a successful landing burn and splashdown. S39.1 | Megabay 2 | Assembly | Parts spotted (Aug 25th [https://x.com/lewisknaggs42/status/1959909685609574645]) S39 | Megabay 2 | Stacking | Parts spotted (Apr 9th [https://x.com/StarshipGazer/status/1909944323778507075]). Forward flaps installed July 29th [https://x.com/StarshipGazer/status/1950703372514066527] and 31st [https://x.com/StarshipGazer/status/1950925801311924315]. Stacking began Oct 20th [https://x.com/CSI_Starbase/status/1980481269080424842]. S40 | Starfactory | Assembly | Parts spotted (Apr 10th [https://x.com/StarshipGazer/status/1910344451219669502]). S41 | Starfactory | Assembly | Parts spotted (May 10th [https://x.com/thejackbeyer/status/1921128402649489911]). S42 | Starfactory | Assembly | Parts spotted (Jul 4th [https://x.com/StarshipGazer/status/1941223681763704894]). S43 | Starfactory | Assembly | Parts spotted (Jul 4th [https://x.com/StarshipGazer/status/1941223686792675507]). S44 | Starfactory | Assembly | Parts spotted (Jul 4th [https://x.com/StarshipGazer/status/1941223693977288938]). S45 | Starfactory | Assembly | Booster | Location | Status | Comment —|—|----|---- B12 | Rocket Garden | 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. Moved to Rocket Garden Sep 27th. B15-2 | Gulf of Mexico | Destroyed | Stacked from July to September 2024. Methane tank cryo test Dec 27th, full cryo test Dec 28th. Static fired Feb 9th [https://bsky.app/profile/elisar3.bsky.social/post/3lhrekkeu2c22]. Launched and landed Mar 6th. Static fired Sep 7th [https://x.com/VickiCocks15/status/1964712595824493010]. Moved to Rocket Garden Sep 26th [https://x.com/LabPadre/status/1971551918364491943]. Launched on Oct 13th, destroyed on impact following a successful landing burn. B16 | Gulf of Mexico | Destroyed | Stacking completed by Dec 26th 2024. Cryo tested Feb 28th. Static fired Jun 6th [https://bsky.app/profile/nasaspaceflight.com/post/3lqxli5kuss26]. FTS potentially installed Jun 18th [https://x.com/VickiCocks15/status/1935367258198421982]. Hot staging adapter removed Jun 19th [https://x.com/VickiCocks15/status/1935841309559837117]. FTS installed Aug 17th [https://x.com/StarshipGazer/status/1957242257683222773]. Rolled out to launch site Aug 21st [https://bsky.app/profile/nasaspaceflight.com/post/3lwvodxmwzc2z]. 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 [https://x.com/StarshipGazer/status/1894241866259771570], Apr 21 [https://bsky.app/profile/nasaspaceflight.com/post/3lndtzqm3os2t]. Cryo tests start Jun 2nd [https://x.com/INiallAnderson/status/1930079978219069897] and 3rd [https://x.com/INiallAnderson/status/1930084954731356243], continue until tank bursts Sep 18th [https://x.com/VickiCocks15/status/1968978424766062969]. B18.3 | Massey’s | Testing | Parts spotted Aug 27th [https://x.com/StarshipGazer/status/1960879537115275380]. Moved to Massey’s Sep 20th [https://bsky.app/profile/nasaspaceflight.com/post/3lzb24sqgqs2e]. B18 | Megabay 1 | Stacking | Parts spotted May 19th [https://bsky.app/profile/nasaspaceflight.com/post/3lpjrykeq4k2x]. B19 | Starfactory | Stacking | Parts spotted Aug 11th [https://x.com/StarshipGazer/status/1955136231009882319]. — ## Resources + LabPadre Channel [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFwMITSkc1Fms6PoJoh1OUQ] | NASASpaceFlight.com Channel [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSUu1lih2RifWkKtDOJdsBA] + NSF: Boca Chica Production Updates Thread [https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=54984.10000#lastPost] + NSF: Elon Starship tweet compilation [https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=47352.10000#lastPost] + SpaceX: Website Starship page [https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/starship/] | Starship Users Guide (2020, PDF) [https://www.spacex.com/media/starship_users_guide_v1.pdf] + FAA: SpaceX Starship Project at the Boca Chica Launch Site [https://www.faa.gov/space/stakeholder_engagement/spacex_starship/] + FAA: Temporary Flight Restrictions NOTAM list [https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr2/list.jsp] + NASA: Starship Reentry Observation (Technical Report) [https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20210020835] + Hwy 4 & Boca Chica Beach Closures [https://www.cameroncounty.us/spacex/] (May not be available outside US) + Production Progress Infographics [https://twitter.com/RingWatchers] by @RingWatchers + Raptor Tracker [https://twitter.com/SpaceRhin0] by @SpaceRhin0 + Acronym definitions by Decronym [http://decronym.xyz/acronyms/SpaceX] + Tim Dodd: Starbase Tour with Elon Musk, Part 1 [https://youtu.be/t705r8ICkRw] | Part 2 [https://youtu.be/SA8ZBJWo73E] | Part 3 [https://youtu.be/9Zlnbs-NBUI] + Tim Dodd: 2022 Elon Musk Interviews, Starbase/Ship Updates [https://youtu.be/3Ux6B3bvO0w] | Launch Tower [https://youtu.be/XP5k3ZzPf_0] | Merlin Engine [https://youtu.be/hIPLmZK3C1Y] | Raptor Engine [https://youtu.be/E7MQb9Y4FAE] + Tim Dodd 2024 Elon Musk Interviews: Starfactory tour [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFqjoCbZ4ik] | Pad tour and post-IFT-4 interview [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InJOlT6WdHc] + Tim Dodd 2025 pre-Flight-9 Elon interview [https://x.com/Erdayastronaut/status/1927466323862335651]