By 
October 2nd, 2025
Image credit: SpaceX
The SpaceX Starship’s eleventh flight test is to launch as soon as Monday, October 13. The launch window will open at 6:15 p.m. Central “Texas” Time.
A SpaceX posting provides detail regarding what’s up with this flight test:
- The flight will build on the successful demonstrations from Starship’s tenth flight test with flight experiments gathering data for the next generation Super Heavy booster.
- Stress-testing Starship’s heatshield, and demonstrating maneuvers that will mimic the upper stage’s final approach for a future return to launch site.
“The booster on this flight test previously flew on Flight 8 and will launch with 24 flight-proven Raptor engines,” explains SpaceX.
Image credit: SpaceX
A primary test objective will be demonstrating a unique landing burn engine configuration planned to be used on the next generation Super Heavy.
This objective will be attempted while on a trajectory to an offshore landing point in the Gulf of America and will not return to the launch site for a launch pad catch.
Landing burn
Super Heavy will ignite 13 engines at the start of the landing burn and then transition to a new configuration, using five up and running engines for the divert phase. Doing so will fine-tune the booster’s path, adding additional redundancy for spontaneous engine shutdowns.
Image credit: SpaceX/Inside Outer Space screengrab
The booster then transitions to its three center engines for the end of the landing burn, entering a full hover while still above the ocean surface, followed by shutdown and dropping into the Gulf of America.
In-space objectives
The Starship upper stage is to deploy eight Starlink simulators, similar in size to next-generation Starlink satellites. These items will be on the same suborbital trajectory as Starship and are expected to demise upon entry.
A relight of a single Raptor engine while in space is also planned.
Image credit: Spacex/Inside Outer Space screengrab
“The flight test includes several experiments and operational changes focused on enabling Starship’s upper stage to return to the launch site on future flights,” explains SpaceX.
For reentry, tiles have been removed from Starship “to intentionally stress-test vulnerable areas across the vehicle.”
Several of the missing tiles are in areas where tiles are bonded to the vehicle and do not have a backup ablative layer.
Banking maneuver
To mimic the path a Starship will take on future flights returning to Starbase, the final phase of Starship’s trajectory on Flight 11 includes a dynamic banking maneuver.
Also on the test to-do list is trial-running subsonic guidance algorithms prior to the Starship’s landing burn and its splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
Live webcast
A live webcast of the flight test will begin about 30 minutes before liftoff, which can be viewed at:
https://www.spacex.com/launches/starship-flight-11
The webcast can also be seen on X @SpaceX, and watched on the X TV app.
“As is the case with all developmental testing,” concludes SpaceX, “the schedule is dynamic and likely to change, so be sure to check in here and stay tuned to our X account for updates.”
Image credit: SpaceX
Posted in Space News
