SpaceX Launches 11th Starship Test Flight in Major Milestone

SpaceX successfully launched the 11th full-scale test flight of its Starship rocket on the evening of March 11, 2024. The flight aimed to mark a significant milestone after a year of challenges, with the rocket taking off from South Texas and aiming for a splashdown in the Indian Ocean approximately one hour later. Liftoff occurred at 6:15 pm CDT (7:15 pm EDT; 23:15 UTC) within a 75-minute launch window.

The launch utilized a Super Heavy booster paired with the Starship upper stage. This mission marked the second use of a previously flown Super Heavy booster, which had successfully launched and landed during a test flight in March. SpaceX’s control team, located at Starbase, Texas, initiated the loading of over 10.5 million pounds of super-cold methane and liquid oxygen into the rocket about an hour prior to liftoff.

Flight Details and Objectives

The 403-foot-tall (123-meter) rocket ascended with approximately 16.7 million pounds of thrust, surpassing the power of the Soviet N1, the second-largest rocket in history. The flight plan involved an arcing trajectory over the Gulf of Mexico, with the Super Heavy booster shedding approximately two-and-a-half minutes into the ascent. Just before staging, the six engines on the Starship upper stage ignited to propel the rocket further into space.

During this flight, SpaceX tested a new landing burn engine configuration for the booster, employing a “13-5-3” sequence. According to SpaceX, this transition strategy makes the rocket more resilient against engine failures compared to previous methods. The mission’s primary goal was to gather data on real-world vehicle dynamics during engine shutdowns as it progressed through various phases of the flight.

Unlike earlier flights, the booster did not attempt a return to Starbase for a catch by the launch pad’s tower arms. Instead, it targeted a controlled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. After reaching space, the Starship deployed eight Starlink satellite simulators, which followed a suborbital path before burning up upon reentry into the atmosphere over the Indian Ocean.

Testing the Heat Shield and Future Aspirations

As the flight approached its conclusion, engineers focused on testing the Starship’s heat shield, a critical component that has faced challenges in prior missions. Of the earlier flights this year, three failed to achieve reentry. However, the tenth flight in August successfully demonstrated both launch and reentry, culminating in a precise splashdown northwest of Australia.

For this mission, SpaceX intentionally removed tiles from specific areas of the Starship to stress-test its heat shield. The company aims to find an effective tile design that can withstand reentry temperatures exceeding 2,600° Fahrenheit (1,430° Celsius), which creates a plasma sheath during descent. The broader goal is to enable rapid reuse of the Starship without the need for extensive refurbishment after each flight.

Looking ahead, future launches of Starship will incorporate returns to Starbase, with plans to catch the vehicle as it returns from space. The current flight serves as a precursor to the upcoming introduction of Starship Version 3, slated for early 2026. This new iteration will feature upgraded Raptor engines, larger propellant tanks, and capabilities for refueling in low-Earth orbit.

SpaceX is also advancing the development of a new launch pad at Starbase, designed to improve operational efficiency. This additional infrastructure will facilitate a higher flight rate, crucial for fulfilling contracts with NASA, which amount to over $4 billion, aimed at providing a human-rated lander for the Artemis lunar program. A successful operational pace is necessary for SpaceX to launch numerous Starship missions ahead of anticipated lunar landings, including in-orbit refueling tests that are essential for future missions to the Moon and Mars.