SpaceX Set for Starship Flight Test at Starbase on October 13

STARBASE, Texas — SpaceX is preparing for the 11th flight test of its Starship program, scheduled to launch the Starship-Super Heavy rocket from its Starbase headquarters on Monday, October 13, at 6:15 p.m. CDT (7:15 p.m. EDT). This mission marks the final test for the Version 2 iteration of the rocket and the current setup of Pad A.

Weather conditions appear favorable for the launch, with SpaceX reporting an 80 percent chance of good weather, although they did not specify the exact constraints expected. The mission will utilize the Super Heavy booster designated B15, which will perform a new configuration for its landing burn, initiating with 13 engines and then transitioning to five engines for a more precise landing.

In preparation for this important test, SpaceX is reusing 24 of the 33 Raptor 2 engines on the B15 booster. SpaceX plans to conduct a hot-staging maneuver to separate the Starship (S38) from the booster about 2.5 minutes into the flight. The S38 will target a water landing in the Indian Ocean after completing a series of flight objectives designed to test suborbital capabilities.

During Flight 11, SpaceX will deploy eight steel structures that simulate the future Starlink Version 3 satellites, following a similar trajectory before they also settle in the Indian Ocean. Additionally, engineers will attempt to relight one of the sea-level Raptor engines during the coast phase to demonstrate how future Starships can safely deorbit and raise their orbit for payload deployment.

William Gerstenmaier, Vice President of Build and Flight Reliability at SpaceX, discussed how the flight’s final trajectory will feature dynamic maneuvers to prepare for future orbital flights. “The upcoming mission will build on the successful demonstrations from earlier flights, gathering vital data for the next-generation Super Heavy booster,” Gerstenmaier said.

As part of its long-term plans, SpaceX is also progressing on the construction of Pad B, which will have a traditional flame trench, diverging from the earlier design of Pad A. This launch is set to be SpaceX’s final mission for the Starship program in 2025, after which the company will focus on developing Starship Version 3.

If necessary, SpaceX has backup launch windows for Flight 11 on Tuesday, October 14, and Wednesday, October 15. The community is invited to track the launch through live coverage provided by SpaceX.