Launch & Testing

Starship Flight 11 — V2 Finale With Booster & Ship Splashdowns, Starlink Deploy Demo, and Engine Relight

Window opened 7:15 p.m. EDT (2315 GMT) on Oct 13 at Starbase, Texas. Super Heavy splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico; Ship splashed down in the Indian Ocean after a dummy Starlink deploy, engine relight, tile stress test, and banking maneuvers. Version 2 retires; Version 3 is next.

🛰️ South Texas · Starbase ⏱️ ~1 hour profile 🧩 V3 targeted for future tests

Starship Flight 11 at Starbase during evening launch window — Feature image: SpaceX (via X)

Flight 11 closed the Starship Version 2 test series. For context on recent milestones and issues, see Flight 10 mission preview, the Flight 10 results, earlier Flight 9 loss, and FAA cadence approval at Starbase. NASA’s schedule update for crewed lunar plans is here: Artemis timeline.

Official visuals and posts are available via SpaceX on X and an additional post: launch-day update.

Interactive Mission Timeline

T+00:00

Liftoff
Window opened 7:15 p.m. EDT (2315 GMT) on Oct 13 from Starbase.

T+02:37

Booster MECO
Super Heavy main engine cutoff.

T+02:39

Hot-stage separation
Ship ignites Raptors; separation completes.

T+06:36

Booster splashdown
Controlled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico after a revised landing-burn configuration.

T+18:28

Dummy payload deploy
Starlink-style deployment via side hatch.

T+37:49

Engine relight
Single Raptor restart mid-flight.

~T+47:43

Reentry
Heat shield tiles intentionally missing at select areas for stress testing.

~T+1:06

Ship splashdown
Indian Ocean splashdown after banking and landing burn.

Mission Checklist

Liftoff
Starbase, Texas.

Core

Booster splashdown
Gulf of Mexico.

Booster

Dummy Starlink deploy
Side hatch demo.

Payload

Engine relight
Single-engine restart.

Upper Stage

Tile stress test
Selected tiles removed by design.

Thermal

Ship splashdown
Indian Ocean.

Upper Stage

Tick steps as you read; the progress bar adapts.

Splashdown Zones (Illustrative)

Markers indicate approximate areas for the booster (Gulf of Mexico) and Ship (Indian Ocean).

Version 2 retires after a series that included scrubs and partial objectives. Prior coverage details a liquid oxygen leak scrub, a double scrub, a pre-launch configuration change, and the Flight 8 engine issue. Starlink background is here: direct-to-cell spectrum agreement and network outage (Sep 2025). For local context, see Starbase municipality vote.

Super Heavy and Ship stacked at dusk — Visual reference: SpaceX (via X)

Related Coverage & Official Posts

Internal (Karmactive)

Flight 10 preview · Flight 10 results · Flight 9 loss · FAA approval · Artemis schedule · Starlink spectrum · Starlink outage · Starbase vote · Web story 1 · Web story 2

Official/External

SpaceX feature post · Additional post

The section covered Flight 11 timing, the booster and Ship splashdowns, the dummy payload deployment, the engine relight, the deliberate tile removal for reentry, and the transition from V2 to V3. Internal and official links were included for reference.

Karmactive Whatsapp group - https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb2BWGn77qVMKpqBxg3D

Rahul Somvanshi

Rahul, possessing a profound background in the creative industry, illuminates the unspoken, often confronting revelations and unpleasant subjects, navigating their complexities with a discerning eye. He perpetually questions, explores, and unveils the multifaceted impacts of change and transformation in our global landscape. As an experienced filmmaker and writer, he intricately delves into the realms of sustainability, design, flora and fauna, health, science and technology, mobility, and space, ceaselessly investigating the practical applications and transformative potentials of burgeoning developments.