Starship

As of May 7, 2026, SpaceX is ramping up production of the Starship Block II configuration.

SpaceX is using Starship to address the heavy-lift gap in the global launch market.

Starship Block II has significantly higher thrust and payload capacity than SpaceX’s original Starship prototypes.

SpaceX plans to use Starship for the second-generation Starlink constellation and for large Department of Defense orbital assets.

Starship is designed to be fully and rapidly reusable.

Starship can deliver more than 100 metric tons to low Earth orbit in fully reusable mode.

Jared Isaacman told U.S. House lawmakers that SpaceX’s Starship and Blue Origin’s Blue Moon are confirmed to be ready by the end of 2027.

SpaceX is developing the Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy booster.

Starship 36 exploded in June last year and caused extensive damage to SpaceX’s Massey Test Site.

SpaceX’s next two Starship tests may occur in Q2 of 2026, although Flight 13 could slip into Q3 of 2026.

Charlie Cox is SpaceX’s Director of Starship Engineering.

Flight 12 is the next planned Starship test flight.

Flight 13 is expected to be SpaceX’s first serious attempt to place a V3 Starship into sustained orbit for in-space refueling tests.

Starship is the foundation of SpaceX’s Human Landing System for future Artemis missions to the lunar surface.

SpaceX’s Starlink network uses larger V3 satellites that Starship is intended to carry.

Starship V3 integrates propellant transfer hardware that will allow custom Starships to serve as orbital fuel depots.

SpaceX says the V3 Starship’s payload increased from 35 metric tons to 100 metric tons.

Flight 13 may be the first Starship upper-stage catch attempt using SpaceX’s chopsticks.