SpaceX shares targets and tentative launch date for Starship Flight 11

"The upcoming mission will build on the data gathered from Starship's tenth test flight, focusing on booster performance and upper-stage capabilities. The Super Heavy booster, previously flown on Flight 8, will launch with 24 flight-proven Raptor engines, according to SpaceX in a blog post on its official website. Its primary objective is to validate a new landing burn engine configuration designed for the next generation of Super Heavy."

"Instead of returning to Starbase, the Super Heavy booster will follow a trajectory toward the Gulf of America. During descent, it will ignite 13 engines before transitioning to a five-engine divert phase and then completing the landing burn with three central engines, entering a full hover while still above the ocean surface, followed by shutdown and dropping into the Gulf of America."

"The Starship upper stage for Flight 11 will carry out a series of in-space demonstrations, including the deployment of eight Starlink simulators that are comparable in size to next-generation Starlink satellites. These payloads will reenter and burn up during descent. A planned Raptor engine relight in orbit will also provide valuable test data."

"To evaluate the upper stage's resilience during reentry, SpaceX engineers have intentionally removed heat shield tiles from select areas to stress-test Starship's thermal protection system."

SpaceX targets Oct. 13 for Starship Flight 11 with a 6:15 p.m. CT launch window and a webcast about 30 minutes prior. The mission will use a Super Heavy booster flown on Flight 8 with 24 flight-proven Raptor engines to validate a new landing burn engine configuration. The booster will fly toward the Gulf of America, ignite 13 engines during descent, transition to a five-engine divert phase, then complete landing burns with three central engines before shutdown and splashdown. The Starship upper stage will deploy eight Starlink simulators, attempt an in-orbit Raptor relight, and include removed heat-shield tiles to stress-test reentry thermal protection. Timelines remain subject to change.

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