SpaceX Prepares starship for 11th Test Flight Following Recent Success
Boca Chica, Texas - SpaceX is gearing up for the 11th integrated test flight of its Starship spacecraft, following a triumphant Flight 10 on Aug. 26.The company recently conducted a static fire test, igniting the engines of the Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage in readiness for the upcoming launch.
Flight 10 marked a important milestone for the program, achieving full mission objectives for the first time. Both the Super Heavy booster and the Starship vehicle successfully splashed down in their designated target zones – the Gulf of Mexico and the Indian Ocean, respectively – and Starship deployed eight dummy payloads into space. This accomplishment represents a major step forward in SpaceX’s development of a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry cargo and crew to destinations throughout the solar system, including Mars.
The 11th flight will be the final test for Starship’s current “Version 2” design. SpaceX plans to transition to the larger Starship Version 3, which is intended to be capable of transporting both cargo and people to mars. SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk has stated that, if testing of Version 3 proceeds as planned, the first uncrewed fleet of Starships could launch toward the Red Planet in late 2026.
Previous starship test flights have faced challenges, including the loss of the Starship vehicle on the first three attempts and an explosion of an upper-stage vehicle on the test stand in June. Flight 10 demonstrated significant progress in overcoming these hurdles, paving the way for continued testing and development.
SpaceX has not yet announced a target launch date for Flight 11.
