Final Flights Of Starship Gen 2, Super Heavy Booster Gen 1

SpaceX Starship lifted off from Starbase in South Texas on October 13, 2025, at 6:23 pm CT on its 11th flight test. It was the final flight of the second-generation Starship and first generation Super Heavy booster, as well as the final launch from Starbase’s Pad 1 as it’s currently configured.

Every major objective of the flight test was achieved and provided valuable data to prepare the next generation of both Starship and Super Heavy.

All 33 Raptor engines ignited on Super Heavy to initiate the launch. The first stage ascent was successful and was followed by a hot-staging maneuver as Starship’s upper stage ignited all six Raptor engines to continue into space.

After successfully separating from the upper stage, Super Heavy booster completed its boostback burn to put it on course to a planned splashdown off the coast of Texas. Only 12 of the 13 planned engines lit during the boostback burn, but all 13 ignited for the high-thrust segment of the landing burn. The booster successfully executed a unique landing burn planned for the next-gen booster, and Super Heavy hovered above the water before shutting down its engines and splashing down.

Following a full-duration ascent burn, Starship achieved its planned velocity and trajectory. The Ship then successfully deployed eight Starlink simulators and also executed its third in-space relight of a Raptor engine to demonstrate a critical capability for future deorbit burns.

Starship re-entered the atmosphere and gathered extensive data on the performance of its heatshield during intentional stressing to test the limits of the vehicle’s capabilities. On the descent, Ship performed a dynamic banking maneuver to mimic the trajectory of future missions returning to Starbase. It then guided itself with its flaps to the pre-planned splashdown zone in the Indian Ocean as it successfully executed a landing flip, landing burn, and soft splashdown.

SpaceX’s focus will now turn to the next generation of Super Heavy booster and Starship. Multiple vehicles are already in active build stages and preparing for tests. The next iteration of the vehicle will be used for its first orbital flights, operational payload missions, propellant transfer, and more in preparation for future iterations intended for service to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

FMI:  www.spacex.com/