SpaceX Shifts Focus to Next-Gen Starship After Successful Final Test Flight

SpaceX has wrapped up testing of its second-generation Starship, marking a major milestone in the company’s pursuit of reusable spacecraft technology. The 11th test flight, which launched from Starbase, Texas, on October 13, achieved all key objectives and served as the final mission for the second-generation vehicle.

The test followed a string of challenges in earlier flights but built on the success of August’s mission, where Starship deployed its payload for the first time. During the latest flight, all 33 Raptor engines ignited flawlessly at liftoff, and both stage separation and first-stage ascent proceeded smoothly. The Super Heavy booster executed a controlled splashdown in the ocean, while Starship successfully deployed its Starlink simulator payloads before reentering Earth’s atmosphere.

As part of the test, SpaceX subjected the vehicle to extreme heatshield stress during reentry to assess its durability. Near the end of the mission, Starship performed a banking maneuver designed to simulate the trajectory that future missions returning to Starbase will follow.

With the flight campaign for the current model now complete, SpaceX says it will shift focus to developing the next-generation Starship and Super Heavy systems. Several new prototypes are already in preparation for orbital tests and operational payload missions, which are expected to advance the company’s long-term goals of interplanetary travel and satellite deployment.