SpaceX completes 11th Starship test ahead of upgraded prototype debut

SpaceX has successfully completed the 11th test flight of its Starship rocket, marking another milestone in the company’s mission to develop the world’s most powerful space vehicle for future Moon and Mars missions.

The two-stage rocket, consisting of the Super Heavy booster and the Starship upper stage, lifted off from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Texas and splashed down safely in the Indian Ocean. The test was aimed at gathering crucial flight and landing data ahead of the next-generation prototype launch.

According to SpaceX, the Super Heavy booster executed a controlled descent and soft water landing in the Gulf of Mexico approximately seven minutes after liftoff. The test also involved a heat shield assessment, re-entry engine relight sequence, and deployment of mock Starlink satellite payloads.

This mission followed a series of earlier attempts that experienced setbacks earlier in the year. The company’s latest success reinforces steady progress in SpaceX’s Starship development program, which is central to NASA’s Artemis initiative — the U.S. effort to return astronauts to the Moon’s surface for the first time since 1972.

NASA’s Acting Administrator Sean Duffy hailed the achievement on X (formerly Twitter), describing the flight as “another major step toward landing Americans on the Moon’s south pole.”

SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell confirmed that the next round of testing will feature a new Starship prototype, equipped with docking adapters and improved hardware essential for orbital refueling — a critical step toward long-duration space missions. She described the upcoming vehicle as “the one that could take humans to the Moon and Mars.”

The company plans to begin test flights of the upgraded Starship later this year or in early 2026. CEO Elon Musk has also revealed plans for a Starship-to-Starship refueling test, an essential milestone for enabling interplanetary travel.

Under a $3 billion contract with NASA, SpaceX is developing the lunar variant of Starship for the Artemis Program, positioning it at the forefront of the modern space race. The mission will compete with China’s planned crewed lunar landing expected in 2030.

SpaceX’s continued progress underscores its dominance in commercial spaceflight, with Starship also playing a key role in launching next-generation Starlink satellites and supporting Musk’s broader ambition to transport humans and cargo to Mars.