SpaceX aces its eleventh Starship take a look at launch on Monday night, marking the corporate’s second consecutive takeoff that crossed off every of the deliberate mission aims.
It was additionally the closing launch of the V2 Starship rocket. The twelfth take a look at flight will function the bigger V3 Starship rocket, adopted by V4, which can finally make the primary journey to Mars.
The launch was overwhelmingly profitable. In its twelfth take a look at flight, SpaceX was capable of obtain each main mission goal, together with the second profitable deployment of Starlink satellite tv for pc simulators and the relight of a Raptor engine whereas in house. The latter achievement demonstrated “a vital functionality for future deorbit burns,” the corporate stated.
The ship formally launched at 6:23 p.m. native time in Starbase, Texas, with all 33 engines igniting and sending the Ship to house.
Liftoff of Starship! pic.twitter.com/sbfmGAEPa6
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 13, 2025
Stage separation occurred simply over eight minutes later, and Tremendous Heavy began its descent again to the Gulf of America, the place it efficiently splashed down. The primary a part of the launch was full.
Starlink simulators have been deployed about twenty-one minutes after launch, because the Pez dispenser despatched the faux-satellites out to house with none difficulty:
Starship has efficiently deployed our @Starlink simulators pic.twitter.com/muNMalZkbT
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 13, 2025
Maybe essentially the most anticipated a part of the launch was with Starship’s banking maneuver and subsequent splashdown within the Indian Ocean.
Previous to Starship 11’s launch and profitable re-entry and splashdown, SpaceX had misplaced a couple of autos throughout this portion of the earlier flights.
Nevertheless, the corporate had made great enhancements and has now aced two consecutive launches. On Monday, its method and splashdown have been each overwhelmingly profitable:
Splashdown confirmed! Congratulations to all the SpaceX group on an thrilling eleventh flight take a look at of Starship! pic.twitter.com/llcIvNZFfg
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 14, 2025
The re-entry part of this explicit Starship launch aimed to collect information on the efficiency of the heatshield, SpaceX stated. The heatshield was deliberately confused to its limits to find out how a lot it might stand up to with out failing.
SpaceX will now flip its focus to the following autos, together with V3, which is bigger, extra succesful, and can assist the corporate collect much more details about its launches into house:
SpaceX unveils Starship V3, the rocket constructed to lastly attain MARS
The brand new design options Raptor 3 engines and large grid fins
Musk says it’s leaner, meaner, and READY for Mars pic.twitter.com/Wj8fBuXPIa
— RT (@RT_com) October 14, 2025
CEO Elon Musk has stated the third-generation Starship rocket will likely be constructed and examined by the tip of the 12 months.