# Starship development and progress \[previous title: Will Musk's starship reach orbit this year?\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Tags:** elon-musk\ **Created:** [July 7, 2022, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starship-development-and-progress-previous-title-will-musks-starship-reach-orbit-this-year/967583 "2022-07-07T22:05:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 70
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2025, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starship-development-and-progress-previous-title-will-musks-starship-reach-orbit-this-year/967583/1381 "2025-06-28T15:34:55Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > [Video Shows Large Crane Collapsing at Safety-Plagued SpaceX Rocket Facility](https://futurism.com/crane-collapse-spacex-starbase) This cite poisoned the well with the title. Inferring SpaceX is plagued by safety issues because they’ve had rocket failures is intellectually disconnected. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2025, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starship-development-and-progress-previous-title-will-musks-starship-reach-orbit-this-year/967583/1382 "2025-07-09T10:57:31Z")
That’s not what they’re referring to, the article [links to and refers to this](https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/spacex-musk-safety/). > It was hardly the last serious accident at SpaceX. Since LeBlanc’s death in June 2014, which hasn’t been previously reported, Musk’s rocket company has disregarded worker-safety regulations and standard practices at its inherently dangerous rocket and satellite facilities nationwide, with workers paying a heavy price, a Reuters investigation found. Through interviews and government records, the news organization documented at least 600 injuries of SpaceX workers since 2014. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2025, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starship-development-and-progress-previous-title-will-musks-starship-reach-orbit-this-year/967583/1383 "2025-07-09T18:20:23Z")
The reporting requirements are going away. No one to read them, compile them, or analyze the accidents. Thanks to DOGE. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2025, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starship-development-and-progress-previous-title-will-musks-starship-reach-orbit-this-year/967583/1384 "2025-07-09T20:05:43Z")
OSHA? What OSHA? We don’ need no steenkin’ OSHA! ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2025, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starship-development-and-progress-previous-title-will-musks-starship-reach-orbit-this-year/967583/1385 "2025-07-09T20:29:12Z")
We went over that article in this thread about 1.5 years ago. It’s basically a load of nonsense. Even the tiny snippet you quoted contains an obvious lie–the 2014 death _was_ reported: > **[SpaceX worker killed at company's McGregor facility - SpaceFlight Insider](https://web.archive.org/web/20141206030649/https://www.spaceflightinsider.com/organizations/space-exploration-technologies/spacex-worker-killed-companys-mcgregor-facility/)** > > SpaceX employee killed at McGregor Texas rocket testing facility SpaceX does most of their own construction at Starbase. Unlike other companies that outsource those kinds of things to Bechtel or whoever. Their injury rates should be compared to heavy industry and manufacturing, not a generic average aerospace company. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2025, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starship-development-and-progress-previous-title-will-musks-starship-reach-orbit-this-year/967583/1386 "2025-08-24T01:03:19Z")
Remember Starship Flight 10 will attempt a launch Sunday, August 24, no earlier than 7:30 pm Eastern time: > **[What time is SpaceX's Starship Flight 10 launch on Aug. 24?](https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-starship-flight-10-launch-what-time)** > > SpaceX aims to launch its Starship Flight 10 test mission no earlier than Sunday at 7:30 p.m. EDT (2330 GMT), if conditions allow. Is it going to blow up again? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2025, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starship-development-and-progress-previous-title-will-musks-starship-reach-orbit-this-year/967583/1387 "2025-08-24T01:06:39Z")
Should be livestreamed here: > **[SpaceX](https://www.spacex.com/launches/starship-flight-10)** > > SpaceX designs, manufactures and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft. Weather is trending to be pretty bad but they’ve proven able to squeeze into narrow windows where it clears up. So there’s a pretty good chance that it flies, though maybe not on time. High hopes, low expectations! (BTW, it didn’t blow up on the last flight, but it did lose attitude control in space and wasn’t able to complete the reentry) ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2025, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starship-development-and-progress-previous-title-will-musks-starship-reach-orbit-this-year/967583/1388 "2025-08-24T01:14:05Z")
Still ended in RUD though. I am not even going to follow this launch live; if it makes it I’ll be happy to read about it the next day. I expect no less than a controlled soft splash-down (even in damaged condition) in order to qualify it as a success. If it’s ANOTHER attitude control loss in midcourse, I’m going to stop expecting Starship in our future. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2025, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starship-development-and-progress-previous-title-will-musks-starship-reach-orbit-this-year/967583/1389 "2025-08-24T01:18:36Z")
I’m glad that SpaceX has a teeny bit more tenacity than you do 🙂 . It’s been less than a year since the last soft splashdown! Most companies wouldn’t have flown _any_ new flights since then. Like, say, Blue Origin, which last flew in Jan and isn’t scheduled to fly until late Sept. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2025, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starship-development-and-progress-previous-title-will-musks-starship-reach-orbit-this-year/967583/1390 "2025-08-24T03:06:55Z")
My reaction to various possible outcomes: 1. Perfect test– No engine outs, booster returns to launch site, upper stage makes reentry on target and soft splash down, no thermal damage. Reaction: _Wonderful!!_ 2. Adequate test– A few engine outs but not mission critical. Booster performs on spec up to stage separation but has either minor glitches or else has to be destroyed by range safety. Upper stage makes it to soft landing but clearly suffered damage. Reaction: At least we’re back on track. 3. Inadequate test– Upper stage fails in midcourse yet again. Reaction: We’re now talking not when but IF Starship will ever be viable. 4. Utterly failed test– Complete loss of vehicle during first stage boost. Reaction: More likely than not Starship is a delusion. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2025, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starship-development-and-progress-previous-title-will-musks-starship-reach-orbit-this-year/967583/1391 "2025-08-24T03:15:07Z")
I don’t understand this exaggerated level of hand-wringing. I guess I’d recommend reading some of Eric Berger’s books on the history of SpaceX. The problems they’re experiencing now is barely gravel on the road, let alone a speed bump, compared to what they’ve gone through previously. They have essentially unlimited resources for the foreseeable future and there’s no evidence that they’re slowing down on iterating. Maybe put down the Reddit for a bit… ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2025, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starship-development-and-progress-previous-title-will-musks-starship-reach-orbit-this-year/967583/1392 "2025-08-24T23:15:01Z")
And it’s a scrub: > They only had a 1-hour window, which likely isn’t enough time to troubleshoot the issue. Hopefully they can try again tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2025, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starship-development-and-progress-previous-title-will-musks-starship-reach-orbit-this-year/967583/1393 "2025-08-25T00:52:22Z")
Apparently somebody was hanging out the passenger side of his best friend’s ride Trying to holla at them. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2025, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starship-development-and-progress-previous-title-will-musks-starship-reach-orbit-this-year/967583/1394 "2025-08-25T04:35:42Z")
If Flight 10 isn’t a total success, I guess SpaceX had just better pack it in. Now, where to put the _seven_ Starships under construction that they don’t need anymore…? [![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/Ooh6bv8.png "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/Ooh6bv8) ---
**Author:** ![Dark\_Sponge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dark_sponge/32/121_2.png) [@Dark\_Sponge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dark_Sponge)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2025, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starship-development-and-progress-previous-title-will-musks-starship-reach-orbit-this-year/967583/1395 "2025-08-25T15:07:43Z")
I got that reference! ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2025, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starship-development-and-progress-previous-title-will-musks-starship-reach-orbit-this-year/967583/1396 "2025-08-25T22:08:21Z")
Glad that someone did 🙂 . Still wondering how they pulled that off! It must be a periscope of some kind, but whatever is protecting it must still have something special about it. Active cooling, maybe. There was a video for Flight 9 as well, and they fixed some of the jiggling: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/C6IjNdbx2s4/maxresdefault.jpg "[4K] SpaceX Starship Flight 9 Launch | Engine Cam") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6IjNdbx2s4) About an hour and 20 minutes to go to Flight 10. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2025, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starship-development-and-progress-previous-title-will-musks-starship-reach-orbit-this-year/967583/1397 "2025-08-25T23:51:53Z")
T-7 minutes. Weather looks 😬 . But everything else looks good. > **[SpaceX](https://www.spacex.com/launches/starship-flight-10)** > > SpaceX designs, manufactures and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2025, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starship-development-and-progress-previous-title-will-musks-starship-reach-orbit-this-year/967583/1398 "2025-08-26T00:02:08Z")
And a scrub. Pesky weather. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2025, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starship-development-and-progress-previous-title-will-musks-starship-reach-orbit-this-year/967583/1399 "2025-08-26T06:10:37Z")
SpaceX: We’re gonna launch a thousand Starships a year! Also SpaceX: We’re cancelling because that cloud looks funny. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2025, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starship-development-and-progress-previous-title-will-musks-starship-reach-orbit-this-year/967583/1400 "2025-08-26T06:30:38Z")
They haven’t installed the SCE-\>AUX switch yet. They’ll get to it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starship-development-and-progress-previous-title-will-musks-starship-reach-orbit-this-year/967583.md?page=69) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starship-development-and-progress-previous-title-will-musks-starship-reach-orbit-this-year/967583.md?page=71)