SpaceX’s Starship program marks a year of growth and challenges as five test flights pave the way for future advancements

SpaceX’s Starship program experienced a pivotal year in 2025, completing five full-stack test flights, though only two achieved successful landing outcomes. The company also made significant advancements in establishing its infrastructure, including the construction of Giga Bays in Texas and Florida, as well as progress on launch pads at Cape Canaveral.

At the Starbase facility in Texas, SpaceX demolished aging structures to make way for a new Giga Bay, aimed at expanding its operational capabilities. The existing Mega Bays can accommodate up to six workstations, while the newly planned Giga Bay is expected to support at least 24. By the end of the year, construction had progressed to three levels, with additional work remaining before completion. Concurrently, a similar Giga Bay is under development at SpaceX’s Roberts Road facility in Florida, which currently supports refurbishment and infrastructure activities for various missions.

The Giga Bays are critical as they will enable the production of the Block 4 Starship, which requires taller boosters than those allowed in the existing Mega Bays. In addition to expanding their production facilities, SpaceX is poised to establish three launch pads in Cape Canaveral, including one at LC-39A, alongside two at SLC-37, which recently received environmental approval to commence construction.

In terms of flight tests, 2025 proved to be a challenging year for SpaceX. Among the five conducted test flights, the loss of multiple vehicles during ascent marred initial attempts. The year began with Flight 7, which included the launch of Ship 33 and Booster 14. Although the booster was successfully caught during recovery, Ship 33 was lost during ascent due to a technical failure. Similar setbacks occurred in Flight 8 with Ship 34.

SpaceX aimed for more reliable outcomes with Flight 9, using the first reflight of a super-heavy booster while managing to achieve only partial success with Ship 35, which lost control during reentry. Subsequent flights, however, saw improvements. Notably, Flight 10 and Flight 11 concluded on a high note, successfully completing all mission objectives and demonstrating advancements in vehicle performance.

As 2025 concluded, SpaceX faced the need to transition to Block 3 designs for upcoming launches. Development was already underway for Booster 18 and Ship 39, though challenges arose when a pressure test resulted in the failure of Booster 18’s liquid oxygen tank. In response, SpaceX rapidly constructed Booster 19, marking a new benchmark for the company’s efficiency.

Overall, this year laid crucial groundwork for the future of SpaceX’s Starship program, with ambitions to expand its capabilities and initiate new flights in the coming year. The company’s investment in infrastructure and commitment to overcoming technical challenges signals its determination to support substantial space missions, including national security objectives and participation in the Artemis program.