NASA Social Experience: SpaceX Crew-10 Launch, March 10-16, 2025
I had the incredible honor of attending the NASA Social for the SpaceX Crew-10 launch, witnessing the March 14, 2025, liftoff of a Falcon 9 rocket (booster B1090) carrying the Crew Dragon Endurance with NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov to the International Space Station from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A. That week, I also marveled at two SpaceX Starlink launches from Florida: Starlink 10-28 on March 11, deploying 22 satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station using booster B1069, and Starlink 10-30 on March 16, launching 23 satellites from the same site with booster B1071.
Starship Flight 6, November 19, 2024
My dad and I witness the sixth test flight of SpaceX’s Starship on November 19, 2024, at Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas. The vehicles included Super Heavy Booster 13 (B13) and Starship 31 (S31). After a successful ascent and stage separation, B13’s planned tower catch was aborted due to a loss of communication with the launch tower, caused by a damaged antenna. This lead to a controlled splashdown in the Gulf of America, 32 km downrange, where it exploded. Ship 31 achieved a historic in-space Raptor engine relight, adjusting its trajectory to a 228 km apogee and 50 km perigee, before executing a controlled daylight splashdown in the Indian Ocean. Loved getting to bring my dad.
Starship Flight 5, October 13, 2024
SpaceX’s Starship Flight 5 on October 13, 2024, at Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas. Super Heavy Booster 12 (B12) and Starship 30 (S30), launched at 7:25 a.m. CT achieving a flawless ascent. B12 executed a historic return, caught mid-air by the “Mechazilla” tower’s chopstick arms after a boost-back burn, marking a major step toward reusability. Ship 30 soared to a 212 km apogee, successfully splashing down in the Indian Ocean after a controlled reentry, though with minor heat shield burn-through. This heart-pounding experience was the first ever Super Heavy attempt and catch!
Starship Flight 4, June 6, 2024
SpaceX’s Starship Flight 4 on June 6, 2024, at Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas. Super Heavy Booster 11 (B11) and Starship 29 (S29), launched at 7:50 a.m. CT. B11 achieved a controlled soft splashdown in the Gulf of America after a boost-back burn, while S29 survived peak heating during reentry, executing a flip maneuver and landing burn for a soft splashdown in the Indian Ocean, despite significant flap damage and tile loss.
Starship Flight 3, March 14, 2024
SpaceX’s Starship Flight 3 on March 14, 2024, at Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas. Super Heavy Booster 10 (B10) and Starship 28 (S28), launched at 8:25 a.m. CT. B10 separated successfully but was lost during its descent to the Gulf of America after failing to complete its landing burn. S28 achieved orbital velocity, reaching a 234 km apogee, but broke up during reentry over the Indian Ocean due to intense heating.
Starship Flight 2, November 18, 2023
SpaceX’s Starship Flight 2 on November 18, 2023, at Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas. Super Heavy Booster 7 (B7) and Starship 25 (S25), launched at 7:00 a.m. CT. B7 separated successfully but exploded shortly after due to a failure during its boost-back burn, likely caused by liquid oxygen venting issues. S25 reached an altitude of 148 km, nearing orbital velocity, but was lost during a planned maneuver when communication failed, triggering an automatic termination.
Starship Flight 1, April 20, 2023
My family and I had the unforgettable thrill of witnessing SpaceX’s Starship Flight 1 on April 20, 2023, at Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas. The colossal rocket, consisting of Super Heavy Booster 7 (B7) and Starship 24 (S24), launched at 8:33 a.m. CT with the raw power of 33 Raptor engines. The vehicle climbed to just under 40 km before a failure to separate the stages led to a loss of control, summersaulting into an intentional termination four minutes into flight, with debris scattering over the Gulf of America. Standing among fervent space fans, this explosive first orbital test attempt was a heart-pounding display of Elon’s vision for a fully reusable rocket, sparking awe and excitement for the future of space exploration!
From August 14 thru 15, 2021, my family and I visited SpaceX’s Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas. We checked out the Starship 20 (S20) at Pad 1. Later that month, S20 was stacked with Booster 4 (B4); the first full stack! It was cool to see Starship for the first time up close and feel the vibe of the place. Sharing the trip with my family made it even better, and it got us all excited about what SpaceX is working on for space travel.