SpaceX Starship's Flight Test 7 – 16 Jan 2025

Title: Starship Flight Test 7, 16 Jan 2025.
Mechazilla catches the Super Heavy booster while Starship’s debris burn at re-entry.
Concept art (Ren@art, G. ImageFX, A. Photoshop 2025).

Space Exploration Technologies, Inc. (SpaceX) Starship’s Flight Test 7 took place on 16 January 2025. After a successful launch and ascent, Super Heavy booster 14 returned to the launch pad and was successfully caught by the landing tower. Meanwhile, communication was lost with Starship rocket shortly after separation culminating in the destruction of this second stage.

The Integrated Flight Test 7 (IFT-7) demonstrated that the controlled capture of the booster while landing and the reuse of one of the booster’s raptor engines are possible and repeatable.

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Updates

17jan2025: FAA mishap investigation.

Background

IFT-7: Starship's structure.
NASA imaging of Starship.
Flight Test 7 goals.
Flight Test 7 webcast.

References

UPDATES

FAA begins mishap investigation after IFT-7 – 17 Jan 2025

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that it started a “mishap” investigation following regulations after the explosion of the spacecraft during SpaceX Starship Flight Test 7. The authority will review findings before deciding if Starship can return to flight. A “debris response area” was activated for a short time to prevent aircraft from entering the region where debris were likely to fall, and a few aircraft outside that area were diverted due to low fuel levels (Mercer, BBC, 2025).

According to the FAA, there were no reports of public injury or damage to public property in the Turks and Caicos area where debris were observed while they burnt on re-entry into the atmosphere (Aero News Network. FAA, 2025).

SpaceX: Initial data indicates that a fire might have developed in the aft section of the ship, leading to an explosion. Test flights fly over a designated launch corridor to safeguard public on the ground, water and air. Remnants of the vehicle burnt out at re-entry, but any surviving debris might have fallen within areas identified in pre-flight with the approval of the FAA and Air Traffic Control (ATC). SpaceX is collaborating with the government of the United Kingdom and authorities of the British Overseas territory of Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) to monitor reports of any damage (SpaceX, 17 Jan 2025).

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Starship’s structure

Flight test 7 consisted of Super Heavy Booster 14, which was part of the first version of the vehicle (Block 1), and Ship 33 as the upper stage, which is part of the second generation of the vehicle (Block 2), which had thinner forward flaps positioned further away from the tip (leeward) than in the previous version and capable of carrying 25% more propellant and potentially 100 tons of cargo to orbit when re-used.

The integrated vehicle was the heaviest (5,500 tons) and the tallest (123 m) that SpaceX launched, breaking its own records.

Starship S33 and Super Heavy Booster 14 highlights (SpaceX, 2025).

Ship 33 and Booster 14 underwent cryogenic testing in October 2024 and static fire testing in December of the same year. On 10 January the integrated vehicle underwent a wet dress rehearsal at the launch site.

Starship and Booster’s static fire tests (SpaceX, 2025).

Engine #314 that flew with Booster 12 in Flight Test 5 was re-flown on Booster 14, proving the concept of hardware re-usability.

Raptor Engine 314 marked with a “pie” flew in Flight Test 5 and Test 7 (SpaceX, 2025).

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NASA imaging of Starship

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) collaborated with SpaceX by planning the capture of images of Starship’s re-entry into the atmosphere and splash-down. NASA committed a specially equipped jet-plane, the “Gulfstream G-V (N95NA)”, which is regularly stationed at Lyndon B. Johnson Space Centre (JSC) in Huston, Texas, and is used in research flights and to transport NASA astronauts returning from the International Space Station (ISS) back to the JSC upon their landing in Kazakhstan (NASA, 2025).

NASA’s Gulfstream G-V (N95NA) planes and patch (NASA, 2025).

Due to the importance of obtaining optimal images on this flight, NASA request a special permission from the FAA. Brett A. Pugsley, Chief of flight operations at NASA’s Johnson Space Centre wrote in the request “Due to the sensitivity of the imaging equipment, it is necessary to reduce all exterior and interior lighting to a minimum to calibrate the onboard sensors and collect imagery during the re-entry event scheduled for January 2025”.

Once the equipment was calibrated and in preparation for Starship’s Flight Test 7, NASA’s Gulftream V conducted a flight test in Brisbane, Australia on 13 January 2025. Having received similar permission from Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority, the plane moved to Perth ahead of the spacecraft’s launch (Nelson, 2025).

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Starship's 7th flight test

Some of the main objectives of Flight Test 7 were:

1. Repeat the tower catch of the booster, successfully achieved in Test 5.
2. Test Ship 33 on its first flight.
3. Test delivery of dummy Starlink satellites.
4. Test Ship’ engines firing in vacuum.
5. Test the performance of the new configuration of Ship 33’s forward flaps.
6. Test Ship 33 vertical landing over the Indian Ocean.
7. Obtain imagery and video of Ship 33 as it re-enters the atmosphere.

Following separation of the first and second stages at 2min 40sec of flight, booster 14 returned to the launch site and was successfully captured by the launch/land tower, fulfilling the first objective.

Ship 33’s first engine failure took place at 7min 39sec followed shortly by the other engines. Transmission s from the vehicle were lost a minute later when the spacecraft was at 146 km of altitude. Ship 33 exploded at 11 minutes into its ascent when it was flying over the Caribbean. Re-entry of the debris were visible over Turks and Caicos Islands, Puerto Rico and the British Virgin Islands. The FAA shut down that area of airspace for more than one hour to prevent air collisions.

Diagram of main highlights of Flight Test 7.Booster 14 landed successfully.
Ship 33 met its death at 11 min into the flight. Concept art (Ren@rt, SpaceX, 2025).

The following video shows Booster 14 as it descends, executes the landing burn and is caught by the tower at the launchpad from which it launched less than 10 minutes earlier.

Successful landing of Booster 14 during Spaceship Flight Test 7 (@spacextom4rs, 16 January 2025).

A close up view of Booster 14 being caught by the landing tower.

Booster 14 landing burn and capture by the landing tower. Flight Test 7 (@TheLaunchPad, 16 January 2025).

Ship 33’s explosion was caught on video from the Bahamas.

Explosion of Ship 33 during Spaceship Flight Test 7 (@everydaysaturday, 16 January 2025).

The remains of Ship 33 flew across the sky as they burnt entering the atmosphere. They were recorded from Turks and Caicos Islands.

Debris of Ship 33 flying across the sky seen from Turks and Caicos Islands. Spaceship Flight Test 7 (@Nico1129x, 16 January 2025).

Debris of Ship 33 burning across the sky as seen from Turks and Caicos Islands (@Nico1129x, 16 January 2025).

Closer view of debris of Ship 33 burning as they enter the atmosphere (@Nico1129x, 16 January 2025).

SpaceX coordinated with Turks and Caicos Islands Government disaster management team and UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch to begin plans to look for debris starting on 25 January 2025, urging the public not to touch the debris to avoid hazardous chemicals.

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IFT-7 webcast

The live broadcast of Flight Test 7 on 16 January 2025 was hosted by Kate Tice, Senior Quality Engineering Manager and Dan Huot from the Communications team, both based at Starbase, Boca Chica, Texas, and Jessica Anderson, Manufacturing Engineering Manager based in Hawthorn, California. This was an exciting day for Kate because it was the first time she was present at the launch site for a Starship launch.

IFT-7 webcast hosts: Jessica Anderson, Dan Huot and Kate Tice (SpaceX, 16 January 2025).

Watch Starship Flight Test 7 highlights by SpaceX (3min).

Highlights of Starship Flight Test 7 (SpaceX, 16 January 2025).

Visit SpaceX’s website to find more about Spaceship Integrated Launch Test 7 including a link to the full webcast (1hr):

Open SpaceX’s “Launches” page for Starship Launch Test 7 (SpaceX, 2025). (Opens in a new tab/window)

Alternatively, go to “X” to view Launch Test 7’s full webcast (1hr):

Open X on the post: Starship Launch Test 7 webcast (@SpaceX, 16 January 2025). (Opens in a new tab/window)

Ship 33 debris burning across the sky over Turks and Caicos Islands.
Concept art (Ren@art, G. ImageFX, A. Photoshop 2025).

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REFERENCES

» ANN (2025) FAA Statement On Starship Flight 7 Accident. Aero News Network (ANN). 20 January 2025. [Online article]. Available at Aero News Network. Accessed: 17 February 2025.
» FAA (2025) General Statements. January 17, 2025. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). 17 January 2025. [Online article]. Available at FAA.gov. Accessed: 17 February 2025.
» Mercer D (2025) US grounds SpaceX’s Starship after test flight explosion. BBC News. 17 January 2025. [Online article]. Available at BBC News. Accessed: 17 January 2025.
» NASA (2025) Gulfstream V - JSC. [Online article]. Available at NASA Airborne Science Program. Accessed: 17 January 2025.
» Nelson J (2025) NASA sends jet to Australia to monitor Starship. Space Connect. 07 January 2025. [Online article]. Available at Space Connect Online. Accessed: 17 January 2025.
» SpaceX (2025) Starship’s seventh flight test. SpaceX. 17 January 2025. [Online article]. Available at SpaceX.com. Accessed: 18 January 2025.
» Wikipedia (2025) SpaceX Starship. [Online article]. Available at Wikipedia. Accessed: 17 January 2025.
» Wikipedia (2025) Starship flight test 7. [Online article]. Available at Wikipedia. Accessed: 18 January 2025.

SpaceX Starship Flight Test 5 - 13 Oct 2024

Title: Starship Flight Test 5, Mechazilla catches the Super Heavy booster. 13 Oct 2024.

SpaceX completed Starship’s Integrated Flight Test 5 (IFT 5) on 13 October 2024. This spacecraft was composed of Starship 30 atop of Super Heavy Booster 12, integrated for the test. Starship launched from SpaceX’s Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, USA.

The test achieved its ambitious objectives including the first attempt at catching the booster in flight as it returned to the launch pad (Orbital Launch Mount A). The highly complex manoeuvre was a total success carving its mark on spaceflight history and consolidating the future of rocket reusability.

Go to

Updates

16oct2024: Observer: Historical Milestone.
13oct2024: BBC: World first.

Background

Flight Test 5.
Starship's evolution.
Planned booster catch.
Highlights of Flight Test 5.
Flight Test 5 Webcast.
Amazing images FT 5.
Booster rollback 15oct2024.

References

UPDATES

Starship test flight such a historic milestone – 16 Oct 2024

Alexandra Tremayne-Pengelly wrote in the Observer “In an impressive feat of engineering, Elon Musk’s SpaceX successfully retrieved the booster of a Starship prototype on the land for the first time during a test flight on Sunday (13 Oct. 2024).” It continues: “The fifth test marked a major milestone for SpaceX’s dreams of eventually creating a fully reusable rocket system capable of sending humans and cargo to the Moon and Mars.” They quote Elon Musk: “Especially after yesterday’s booster catch and precise ocean landing of the ship, I am now convinced that it can work”.

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Starship booster captured in world first – 13 Oct 2024

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported on 13 October 2024: “Starship rocket has completed a world first after part of it was captured on its return to the launch pad. The SpaceX vehicle's lower half manoeuvred back beside its launch tower where it was caught in a giant pair of mechanical arms, as part of its fifth test flight.” The article continued: “The US space agency, Nasa, will also be delighted the flight has gone to plan. It has paid the company $2.8bn (£2.14bn) to develop Starship into a lander capable of returning astronauts to the Moon's surface by 2026.” It also mentioned environmental concerns about the launch site and the flights: “Dr Eloise Marais, professor of atmospheric chemistry and air quality at University College London, said the carbon emissions from rockets pale in comparison to other forms of transport but there are other planet-warming pollutants which are not being considered”.

Black Carbon (BC) concentrates in Asia
(Wikipedia, 2025).

Starship uses large amounts of Methane and Oxygen as fuel, and there is still little data to determine the amount of emissions produced by this relatively new type of combustion. The main concern was the emission of Black Carbon (BC), consisting of particles of less than 2.5 micrometres in size, commonly known as soot or charcoal, and released by incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, biofuel, and biomass. When suspended in the air, the particles absorb sunlight and heat, warming up their surroundings. Black Carbon is a weak contributor to global warming because it remains in the atmosphere only from days to weeks, compared to other greenhouse gases like Carbon Dioxide that remains for more than 100 years. Although BC is found worldwide, it is more evident over the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayan foothills of Asia.

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Flight Test 5 – 13 Oct 2024

Following a successful lift-off, ascent, stage separation, boost-back burn, and coast, the Super Heavy booster performed its landing burn and was caught by the chopstick arms of the “Launch and Catch” tower at Starbase. The tower is also known as Mechazilla. Succeeding at the first attempt was the result of thousands of criteria met by the vehicle and monitor by the engineering team during flight. When all the criteria were met during ascent the "go for catch" announcement was made boosting the excitement of the whole engineering and technical teams at SpaceX. The world witnesses a highly controlled "Catch", which is what the future will look like when Starship starts carrying crew and cargo to destinations on Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond.

Starship's fifth flight test was the most ambitious yet in reaching SpaceX' objectives of demonstrating techniques that are essential for the goal of building rapidly reusable rockets.

WatchStarship Flight Test 5 highlights by SpaceX (3min 26sec).

Highlights of Starship Flight Test 5 (SpaceX, 13 October 2024).

Starship’s evolution

The series of tests to develop the Starship vehicle began as a technology demonstration of Vertical Take-off Vertical Landing (VTVL) designed for reusability.

Grasshopper rocket launched in 2012.
(SpaceX, 2025).

SpaceX began development of VTVL vehicles in 2006. The first one was the reusable rocket prototype, Grasshopper, which made 8 flights between 2012 and 2013. In those early tests, the rocket, a modified Falcon 9 first stage, reached an altitude of 250 metres before descending and landing on the launch pad, demonstrating the ability to control the rocket's trajectory from ascent to descent with upmost precision.

In 2013 SpaceX announces the development of Falcon 9R, a re-usable version of the successful vehicle that launches in 2015 but explodes on landing. The company announces the Falcon 9 FT and makes history on 21 December 2015, when it lands on a drone ship after launching a payload to orbit. Other flights followed.

Falcon Heavy started development in 2017 and launches for the first time on 06 February 2018, landing 3 of its 4 boosters.

Starhopper launched 2019.
(SpaceX, 2025).

The Starhopper was the first prototype for Starship and had 4 successful tests in 2019. On September 3, 2024, Starhopper was moved to a parking lot nearby the launch site at Starbase.

The following year, SpaceX began testing Starship SN1 prototypes. After a series of test, the various iterations of Starship improved until Starship SN15, which successfully completed a high-altitude flight and landing on 05 May 2021

SpaceX develops the Starship HLS in 2022, a spacecraft designed for lunar missions.

Integrated Starships that combined Starship with Super Heavy booster began with model S24, which launched on 20 April 2023 as Flight Test 1.

Test 2 launched version S25 on 18 November 2023. All the test so far failed or were destroyed.

Test 3 launched version S28 successfully on 14 March 2024 but the vehicle failed afterwards.

Flight Test 4, flap burning at re-entry, 2024.
(SpaceX, 2025).

Test 4, using version S29, launched on 06 June 2024 was the first one that achieved a controlled landing of the booster in the ocean and the ship, despite partial burning of its flaps during re-entry. The ship was subsequently expended.

Test 5 launched S30 on 13 October with a successful outcome and for the first time, capture of the booster by the tower and completion of the flight by the Ship, although this was eventually expended.

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Planned booster catch

One of the main objectives of Flight Test 5 was catching the Super Heavy Booster using the “Chopsticks” arms of the double-purpose Launch-Land tower “Mechazilla” at Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas. The following pre-flight animation stills depict some of the expected views.

Flight Test 5: Pre-flight animation depicting the approach of the booster viewed from below the Chopsticks of the catching tower (SpaceX, 2025).

Flight Test 5, Pre-flight animation depicting the booster’s landing burn as it is caught and then resting on the tower (SpaceX, 2025).

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Highlights of Flight Test 5 on 13 October 2024

The following images show key moments of Flight Test 5 from the webcast of this historic event.

FT 5: Launchpad at Starbase, Boca Chica, Texas before countdown (SpaceX, 2025).

FT 5: Starship launch @ T 00.00.00 (SpaceX, 2025).

FT 5: Stage separation and Super Heavy booster initiates return @ T 00.02.44 (SpaceX, 2025).

FT 5: Super Heavy booster landing burn approaching the landing tower @ T 00.06.45 (SpaceX, 2025).

FT 5: Super Heavy booster caught by the tower’s mechanical arms @ T 00.06.55 (SpaceX, 2025).

FT 5: SpaceX staff celebrate their unbelievable achievement. Booster resting on the tower @ T 00.07.29 (SpaceX, 2025).

FT 5: Super Heavy booster resting on the tower at dawn @ T 00.08.03 (SpaceX, 2025).

FT 5: Super Heavy booster resting cooing down on the launch-land tower @ T 00.10.19 (SpaceX, 2025).

FT 5: Starship coasting over the Earth @ T 00.10.39 (SpaceX, 2025).

FT 5: Starship coasting over the mouth of River Linta, Madagascar @ T 00.43.25 (SpaceX, 2025).

The river Linta in SW Madagascar flows into the Indian Ocean, next to Adroka town (Google Lens, Google Maps, Wikipedia, 2025).

FT 5: Starship at re-entry. Plasma forming around the spacecraft @ T 00.47.20 (SpaceX, 2025).

FT 5: Starship at re-entry. Plasma iridescence visible on the flap @ T 00.54.11 (SpaceX, 2025).

FT 5: Starship’s landing burn at splashdown @ T 01.05.34 (SpaceX, 2025).

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Flight Test 5 Webcast

Flight Test 5 webcast was narrated by SpaceX hosts Kate Tice, Senior Quality Engineering Manager and Jessica Anderson, Manufacturing Engineering Manager on 13 October 2024.

At the end of the live broadcast they presented Mechazilla after a successful first historic attempt at catching the booster on flight as it landed on the launchpad from which it launched.

FT 5 Webcast: Hosts Kate Tice and Jessica Anderson present Mechazilla on 13 October 2025 @ T 01.08.15 (SpaceX, 2025).

SpaceX staff watched the event with excitement and anticipation of success that ended in enormous joy and pride when the main goals of their work were achieved.

FT 5 Webcast: SpaceX staff watching the broadcast in excitement during ascent @ T 00.19.45 (SpaceX, 2025).

FT 5 Webcast: Elon Musk, CEO and Chief Engineer of SpaceX celebrating with staff in the control room (SpaceX, 2025).

Watch the full webcast from 13 October 2024 presented by Kate Tice and Jessica Anderson from Hawthorn, California.

Play Webcast of Flight Test 5. Image of Super Heavy booster’s landing burn. 13 Oct 2024 (SpaceX, 2025). (Opens on a new tab).

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Amazing Images – FT 5

Some amazing images were captured during and after Flight Test 5. These include booster landing and capture and the booster rollback from the tower to the production site at Starbase.

Flight Test 5: Super Heavy booster’s landing burn as it approaches the launching / landing tower Mechazilla. 13 Oct 2024.
Note water deluge at base of launchpad to prevent heat damage (Wikipedia, 2024).

Flight Test 5: A closer view of Super Heavy booster’s landing burn as it approaches the landing tower. 13 Oct 2024 (SpaceX, 2025).

Flight Test 5: First stage Raptor engines firing during ascent. 13 Oct 2024 (SpaceX, 2025).

Booster 12 was rolled back to the production site two days after the test, on 15 October 2024. At the facility within Starbase, the booster was to be inspected and repaired. The most obvious damage was to one of the columns on the side of the booster.

Raptor Engine 314 marked with a “pie” was successfully re-used in Booster 14, which launched and returned to the landing site as part of IFT 7 on 16 January 2025, demonstrating the feasibility of engine reuse.

Post-Flight Test 5: Super Heavy Booster 12 Raptor engines prior to roll back to the production site after the test. 15 Oct 2024 (Evans M, NASASpaceflight, 2024).

Post-Flight Test 5: Close up of Super Heavy Booster 12 Raptor engines. 15 Oct 2024.
Note engine 314 with a “Pie” to be re-used in Booster 14, part of IFT 7 (Evans M, NASASpaceflight, 2024).

Booster rollback: Super Heavy Booster 12 moved from the launch/land pad.
The Starhopper vehicle on the left is near the carpark. 15 Oct 2024 (Evans M, NASASpaceflight, 2024).

Booster rollback: A closer view of Super Heavy Booster 12 shows the enormous size of the operation.
15 Oct 2024 (Evans M, NASASpaceflight, 2024).

Super Heavy Booster 12 standing in between the two production sites (black buildings) at Starbase.
15 Oct 2024 (Evans M, NASASpaceflight, 2024).

Graphic showing the integrated components of Starship:
The Starship rocket atop the Super Heavy booster, and Mechazilla, the launch & land tower (Stallard E, BBC, 2024).

The Flight Test 5 Patch and T-Shirt with Flight 5 graphic are available in the SpaceX store, together with more goodies (SpaceX, 2025).

SpaceX: Mechazilla catching the booster. Concept art (SpaceX, 2025).

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Booster Rollback - 15 October 2024

Watch the full broadcast of Booster 12 rollback to production site from 15 October 2024 (1h29m).

SpaceX Rolls Booster 12 to the Production Site After Catch (NASASpaceflight).

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REFERENCES

» Evans M (2024) Starship Flight 5 Updates. NASASpaceflight’s Forum. 15 Oct 2024. [Online article]. Available at NASASpaceflight’s Forum. Accessed: 10 January 2025.
» NASASpaceflight (2024) Full replay: SpaceX Rolls Booster 12 to the Production Site After Catch | Starbase. 15 Oct 2024. Duration: 1h39m. [Online video]. Available YouTube. Accessed: 10 January 2025.
» Stallard E (2024) Elon Musk's Starship booster captured in world first. BBC, News. 13 Oct 2024. [Online article]. Available at BBC. Accessed: 10 January 2025.
» Tremayne-Pengelly A (2024) Starship test flight such a historic milestone? Observer. 16 Oct 2024. [Online article]. Available at The Observer. Accessed: 10 January 2025.
» Wikipedia (2025) Black Carbon. [Online article]. Available at Wikipedia. Accessed: 10 January 2025.