SpaceX Says Starship Flies Commercial Payloads This Year. Here's What a Successful Flight Is Worth -- and What a Failure Costs.

SpaceX successfully deployed 26 Starlink satellites via Starship in September, though an engine shutdown shortened the mission. The company targets November for its 15th test flight, aiming to recover both rocket stages for the first time. A full Starship payload could generate approximately $1.65 billion in annual revenue, with the September launch suggesting roughly $715 million in potential revenue. However, launch failures could jeopardize multibillion-dollar commercial projects and expose billions in uninsured costs.