10th Test Flight Delayed Due to Launchpad Troubles

Updated 08.25.25: Weather that violated launch constraints has scrubbed the second launch attempt of Starship 10. SpaceX noted, "Standing down from today’s flight test attempt due to weather. Starship team is determining the next best available opportunity to fly." As of 2130ET, there has been no suggested alternate time for a third attempt.

08.24.25 Report: SpaceX’s streak of concerning Starship events is continuing, with the repeat of Flight 10 being scrubbed for launchpad infrastructure troubles. The first go at Flight 10, in June, ended much like the three before it: in flames. The only difference was that June’s attempt hadn’t even left the ground…

Earlier failures ranged from propulsion system breakdowns to a propellant leak that tore the spacecraft apart during reentry. SpaceX and the FAA both say each mishap has produced new safety and design requirements, but the company’s track record has left regulators, airlines, and the public questioning just how close Starship is to operating reliably.

If and when Flight 10 actually launches, SpaceX plans to test booster landing burns, attempt a payload deployment with eight simulated Starlink satellites, and push the upper stage through a reentry specially designed to stress its heat shielding and flaps. The booster will maneuver for a controlled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico rather than an ambitious “catch” attempt, while the upper stage experiments are expected to destroy the vehicle by design.

For SpaceX, the repeated “rapid unscheduled disassemblies” are part of the development process. The company has transitioned to new metallic tiles, experimented with active cooling, and tested different catch fittings using the data acquired in test failures. Still, the sequence of events that has earned SpaceX four total vehicle losses since January means that all eyes are on Starship for the upcoming launch.

Launch windows open again early next week, but given the fueling procedures already attempted, SpaceX may need to stand down for at least 48 hours. And it couldn’t be worse timing; SpaceX is pushing hard to get additional launches approved, as well as attempting to add Cape Canaveral, Florida, to its launch site roster. The air traffic delays that would come with this expansion, as one could imagine, have not helped the company’s public standing.

FMI: www.spacex.com