Timeline of SpaceX’s Starship From the Past to the Future

ITS Announcement

Elon Musk unveiled the Interplanetary Transport System (ITS) at the International Astronautical Congress. The ITS, a precursor to Starship, was a two-stage rocket with a spaceship and a booster. The concept aimed to transport humans to Mars using a reusable spacecraft and booster.

BFR Facility Announcement

SpaceX announced their intentions to build a facility at the Port of Los Angeles to manufacture the BFR (later renamed Starship).

First Test Vehicle

SpaceX completed the assembly of the Starship Hopper, a suborbital test vehicle used for initial tests of the Raptor engines and vertical takeoff and landing systems.

Starship Hopper Test Flights

The Starship Hopper conducted a tethered test fire, followed by a tethered test flight which reached a height of approximately 1 m. The purpose of the testing was to evaluate the performance of the Raptor engine and the vehicle's vertical takeoff and landing capabilities.

Starship Mk1 Reveal

Elon Musk presented an update on Starship's development and revealed the full-scale Starship Mk1 prototype at the SpaceX facility in Boca Chica, Texas.

BFR Facility Cancellation

SpaceX canceled their lease with the Port of Los Angeles. Initial Starship production would be done in south Texas.

SN8 High-Altitude Test Flight

The Starship SN8 prototype completed a high-altitude test flight, reaching an altitude of 12.5 km. While the vehicle exploded during the landing attempt, the test provided valuable data for the development of subsequent prototypes.

SN15 Successful High-Altitude Test Flight

The Starship SN15 prototype completed a successful high-altitude test flight, reaching an altitude of 10 km and landing safely. This marked a significant milestone in Starship's development, showcasing the progress made in refining the spacecraft's design and systems.

Super Heavy Booster 4 Orbital Test Stand

SpaceX rolled out the Super Heavy Booster 4 and placed it on the orbital launch mount at the Boca Chica facility, preparing for future integrated tests with the Starship spacecraft.

Ongoing Development and Testing

SpaceX continued to develop and test the Starship and Super Heavy systems.

Consequences

The launch mishap resulted in a lawsuit being filed against the FAA by environmental groups, and FAA launching a mishap investigation.

Superbird-9

Superbird-9 is a SKY Perfect JSAT's HTS (High Throughput Satellites)

Space Tourism Flight

dearMoon project will fly 9 space tourists on a loop around the Moon.

HLS Demo

NASA demonstration mission for the Human Landing System prior to Artemis 3, was announced in April 2021. Includes refueling and landing vehicles.

Astrolab FLEX rover mission

The Flexible Logistics and Exploration (FLEX) rover is flying as part of a SpaceX rideshare mission to the south pole of the moon.

Mars Mission