Hey everybody. Welcome back to the Elon Musk
Podcast. This is a show where we discuss
the critical crossroads that shape SpaceX, Tesla X, The
Boring Company, and Neurolink. I'm your host, Will Walden.
SpaceX has begun turning Starship into a fully
operational launch system. A Flight 9 reused the Super
Heavy booster for the first time, tested a redesigned
staging system, and pushed forward with in space payload
deployment. A Flight 10 validated many of
those upgrades with a successful mission that returned precise
flight data and proved critical improvements to guidance, re
entry protection and engine relay capabilities.
But even with that momentum, failures in Flight 9 exposed
structural weaknesses that had to be solved fast.
Now, can Starship become a reliable, reusable platform for
lunar and Mars missions without more setbacks?
SpaceX reused Booster 14 for Flight 9 in May of 2025, and the
booster launched cleanly, with all 33 Raptor 2 engines
performing normally. A number of those engines had
already flown, and SpaceX proved they could operate safely again
after refurbishment. The mission also trialled A
modified hot staging system. Engineers altered the venting
system to steer the separation plume more effectively, reducing
instability and pressure spikes during stage separation.
That change improved control during one of the most
vulnerable phases of flight, and the payload section carried an
experimental Starlink deployment system.
The ship's guidance system received a complete overhaul to
sharpen targeting precisions and the new deployment mechanism and
a carousel like ejection approach to it.
On paper, the upgrades positioned Flight 9 is the
strongest proof that Starship could transition from testing
into regular missions. But cracks emerged fast as Ship
35 accelerated toward orbital velocity.
Onboard data showed a methane leak inside the main tank Dome.
That slow leak reduced internal pressure, degraded control
authority and made it impossible for the ship to maintain
orientation. Without stable altitude and
attitude, the spacecraft lost control and broke apart on re
entry. The booster faced its own
critical failure during the final descent.
High aerodynamic forces damaged part of the fuel transfer system
and the booster exploded before completing its landing,
destroying post flight data that would have informed
refurbishment efforts. Postmortem reviews revealed that
structural stress points in the boosters fuel lines they weren't
strong enough for high speed re entry forces.
SpaceX responded by reinforcing the plumbing with additional
material along high load zones. Engineers also redesigned the
tank Dome welds, added new leak detection sensors and updated
the ejection hardware to fix the jam Starlink Bay.
The changes were ready in time for Flight 10.
Now, three months later, ship 37 launched and landed in the ocean
just three meters off target. That pinpoint accuracy showed
clear improvement in the control software and grid fin handling.
Engineers stripped heat shield tiles from one segment of the
ship on purpose to test how well the backup thermal systems would
hold up. The ship survived re entry
despite the induced damage. Now this success proved the
Starship's redundancy plan for heat shielding could work under
actual stress and the mission also included the 1st in flight
space Raptor relight. That test matters because
Starship must relight its engines mid flight to make
course corrections during deep space missions, and this relight
worked. The success, along with improved
engine out handling on the booster, showed that Starship
can still land safely even if one or more engines have failed.
Flight 10 became the first mission to deploy test payloads
for Starship successfully. The updated deployment system
worked as designed, pushing out eight Starlink simulators during
orbit. Onboard sensors sent back real
time readings on heat exposure, vibration and hull flex, giving
engineers the data they need to tweak thermal shielding and
structural fashion for future flights.
Flight 11 will mark the last use of the current Block 2 vehicle
and aims to close out splash down tests for heat shield
segments and upgraded grid fins. This version includes better
handling for ocean recovery and new software tuned for
predicting wave impact stress. The team wants high fidelity
recovery data before moving on to land based catch attempts.
Now Flight 12 is important. It begins the Block 3 era of
Starship. This version includes the Raptor
3 engine, which provides 20% more thrust, simplified
construction, and fewer external components which reduce weight
and improved reliability. SpaceX integrated the hot
staging ring into the ship's lower Dome to eliminate excess
mass, and the new grid fin arrangement allows for more
precise directional control during descent and the payload
limit jumps to 140 metric tons. These ships are built for fast
turn around and minimal post flight maintenance.
Now let's move on to flights 13 through 15.
They're expected to showcase full reusability with recovery
of both the booster in the ship via the Meccazilla catching
system. That goal depends on the flight
history of Block 3 hardware, of course.
Engineers are testing new metallic heat shield tiles with
embedded coiling channels that use methane to absorb heat
during reentry, and these active tiles are designed for fast
inspection and replacement, supporting A cadence near weekly
launches once reliability is proven.
Star Base and Kennedy Space Center have already upgraded
infrastructure to support up to 50 landings per year.
This high frequency will shorten the learning cycle and create
more consistent engineering feedback for SpaceX.
It also reduces the time between major system upgrades, which
will help SpaceX move faster towards stable operations.
These upcoming flights will also test the hardware and software
needed for in orbit refueling. Specialized tanker versions of
Starship will attempt cryogenic fuel transfer in orbital
docking. The vehicles are receiving new
insulation systems and revised plumbing designed to prevent
boil off during long stays in orbit.
Software for automated rendezvous and docking is being
adapted from Crew Dragons flight code, both modifications for
Starships larger size and higher volume fuel.
NASA's Artemis lunar program depends on Starship's ability to
refuel an urban. Without that capability,
Starship cannot deliver cargo to the moon or return after
landing. The tests over the next few
flights will determine whether this part of the system will be
ready in time for a 2027 crude landing.
Raptor 3 engines are a huge performance boost since the
beginning of this program. These engines operate at 350 bar
chamber pressure and exceed A thrust to weight ratio of 180.
They're designed to be refurbished in less than 30
days, which supports the kind of rapid reuse the SpaceX needs to
compete with expandable rockets on cost and on volume.
Now, engineers are also moving away from relying solely on
ceramic heat shield tiles. The new designs use hexagonal
patterns with stronger attachment brackets, backup a
blade of layers beneath each tile, and active cooling in
critical zones. These changes reduce the risk of
full system loss from a single tile detachment.
And SpaceX wants Starship to reach operational status by
2026. They want to set it to Mars.
That means refueling tests, successful catch landings, and
high frequency reuse all need to happen in the next 5 flights.
So if Flight 11 goes well all the way through Flight 15, and
they can validate every single one of those systems as 100%
successful, SpaceX will have turned Starship from an
experimental platform into a reusable spacecraft with real
deep space potential. And they might just hit their
mark of going to Mars by the end of 2026.
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