Starship flight test 11 was the eleventh flight test of a SpaceX Starship launch vehicle, using Booster 15 and Ship 38.[4] It was the last flight of a Block 2 Starship vehicle, and flew a similar profile to the previous two flights.[5] According to Eric Berger, Flight 11 included additional tests of the Raptor engines.[6] SpaceX stated that the ship had some tile experiments, including removing tiles that lack an ablative backup section. The booster, with 24 flight-proven engines, tested configurations planned to be used by Block 3 boosters upon landing before being expended.[7]
Background
Vehicle testing ahead of launch
Booster 15
B15 was rolled back to Mega Bay 1 on March 8 for refurbishment,[8] after having flown on flight 8.[9] It was then rolled to Pad 1 on September 5, and stacked onto the Orbital Launch Mount (OLM) on September 6. B15 then performed a 33 engine, 9 second duration static fire on September 7.[10] Booster 15 then rolled back to Mega Bay 1 on September 8.[11] B15 was rolled back to Pad 1 on October8 and was lifted onto the OLM.[12]
Ship 38
S38 was rolled to the Massey's test site for cryogenic testing on July 27.[13] On July 30, S38 conducted three separate cryogenic proof tests,[14] followed by a return to the production site on August 1.[14] Engine Installation began on August 14 with two Vacuum Raptors entering Mega Bay 2.[15] S38 rolled out to the OLP-1 at the Starbase Launch Site on September 17, S38 was then lifted onto the Launch Mount for static fire testing.[16] The first attempt at a static fire was aborted as the vehicle began propellant load on September 18.[17] It re-attempted a static fire, but it was aborted for unknown reasons during propellant loading.[18] Ship 38 then conducted a 6 engine, 8 second duration static fire on September 22.[19] On October11, Ship 38 was integrated with its payload and lifted atop Booster 15.[20]
Mission profile
The mission profile for Flight Test 11 was largely consistent with that of the preceding test. The spacecraft executed a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean, while the booster conducted landing-burn experiments over the Gulf of Mexico. The mission also included the deployment of eight Starlink mass simulators and an in-flight engine relight test.[7]
Flight timeline
Time
Event
October13, 2025
−01:15:00
SpaceX flight director conducts poll and verifies go for propellant load
