SpaceX Starship Completes Mostly Successful 11th Test Flight With Indian Ocean Splashdown

SpaceX launched its giant Starship rocket on Monday for its 11th test flight, completing a largely successful mission that ended with a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean after just over an hour.

The rocket lifted off from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in South Texas at 6:23 p.m. Central Time.

The Super Heavy booster separated from the upper stage and achieved a targeted splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico, while the Starship upper stage completed its ascent burn and entered a planned coast phase.

In space, Starship successfully deployed eight Starlink simulator satellites and reignited one of its Raptor engines before beginning a controlled reentry.

The vehicle executed a banking maneuver simulating the final approach it would take when returning to Starbase for a catch on future missions, then splashed down in the Indian Ocean.

SpaceX confirmed the splashdown on social media, saying “Splashdown confirmed! Congratulations to the entire SpaceX team on an exciting eleventh flight test of Starship!”.

The company noted that while recovery of the ship was not planned for this mission, Starship still completed all landing maneuver steps and performed beyond expectations.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk praised the team in a post on X, writing “Great work” . He also made a surprise appearance on the launch livestream, asking about progress and expressing disbelief when told he was being broadcast.

The flight was the final test of the current Version 2 Starship and first-generation Super Heavy booster. SpaceX has announced that multiple new vehicles are being built for the next version, Starship V3, which is expected to be ready next year.

The V3 will aim to conduct orbital flights, carry real payloads and test in-space refueling, a prerequisite for missions to the Moon and Mars.

The mission achieved all major objectives, though one minor issue was noted. During the booster’s landing burn, one of the 13 Raptor engines failed to reignite as planned, but this did not affect the overall mission.

Starship remains the largest rocket ever built, consisting of the approximately 70-meter Super Heavy booster and a roughly 50-meter upper stage, both designed to be reusable.