Overview
- SpaceX’s eleventh Starship test launched from Texas and concluded about an hour later with a planned splashdown in the Indian Ocean, which the company called a success.
- The Super Heavy booster separated cleanly and splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico after a brief engine relight anomaly when 12 of 13 Raptors initially fired before full recovery on the landing burn.
- During the flight the upper stage released eight dummy Starlink satellites, tested in‑space Raptor shutdown and restart, and executed reentry and descent as planned without attempting orbit.
- SpaceX said this was the final flight for the V2 vehicle and first‑generation booster, with multiple new vehicles in build and V3 targeted for testing next year as a higher‑thrust, higher‑capacity upgrade; Elon Musk has outlined a larger V4 for 2027.
- Key milestones remain before crewed lunar use, notably orbital refueling and routine orbital missions, and NASA’s Artemis III—currently targeted for mid‑2027—relies on Starship’s progress, with outside advisers warning the schedule could slip.