SPACE NEWS: SpaceX Starship Flight Test 11 Set to Launch Today from Boca Chica, Texas

launch window opening at 7:15 p.m. ET

BOCA CHICA, TEXAS – SpaceX is preparing to launch the eleventh flight test of its Starship rocket as early as Monday, October 13, with the launch window opening at 7:15 p.m. ET.

A live webcast of the highly anticipated flight will begin roughly 30 minutes before liftoff on X (@SpaceX), including streaming on the X TV app. SpaceX noted that, as with all developmental testing, the schedule is subject to change, and real-time updates will be posted on the company’s social media channels.

The eleventh flight test aims to build on the successful demonstrations from Starship’s previous flight, gathering data for the next-generation Super Heavy booster, stress-testing Starship’s heat shield, and refining upper-stage reentry maneuvers to simulate a future return-to-launch-site approach.

The Super Heavy booster assigned to this test previously flew on Flight 8 and will lift off with 24 flight-proven Raptor engines. Engineers will focus on testing a new landing burn configuration designed for the upcoming Super Heavy V3 model.

Testing a New Engine Configuration

During the landing phase, Super Heavy will ignite 13 engines at the start of its descent burn, then transition to a five-engine configuration for the divert phase—an upgrade from the three-engine approach used in previous missions.

This adjustment adds redundancy, enabling automatic compensation in the event of spontaneous engine shutdowns.

The booster will conclude the sequence using its three central engines to achieve a full hover above the Gulf of Mexico before shutdown and splashdown. This test will provide engineers with valuable data on the rocket’s dynamic behavior during multi-phase engine transitions.

Meanwhile, Starship’s upper stage will pursue several experimental objectives in space, including deploying eight Starlink simulators. These simulators, modeled after next-generation Starlink satellites, will follow a suborbital trajectory and are expected to burn up upon reentry.

The mission also includes a planned relight of a single Raptor engine in space, a key milestone for future long-duration missions and orbital operations.

To prepare for future return-to-launch-site capabilities, SpaceX engineers have intentionally removed select heat shield tiles to stress-test vulnerable sections of Starship’s thermal protection system. Some of the removed tiles expose areas without ablative backup protection, allowing real-world measurement of reentry stress.

Starship will also execute a dynamic banking maneuver during descent—simulating the flight path of future missions returning to Starbase—and test subsonic guidance algorithms before performing a controlled landing burn and splashdown in the Indian Ocean.

Where to Watch: Space enthusiasts can tune in live via SpaceX’s official webcast on SpaceX.com or follow updates on X.com/SpaceX.

Similar Stories