SpaceX Targets Oct. 13 For Next Starship Launch

Starship Flight 11 is targeting an Oct. 13 launch date, with SpaceX hoping for one more run of its Block 2 Starship design before transitioning to the larger and improved Block 3 variant in 2026. All had better go well, as SpaceX is facing increasing pressure to have its Starship ready for a 2027 launch to the Moon, where it will act as both transport and lander for the Artemis III mission.

Starship suffered several embarrassing failures through the first half of 2025 but finally managed a successful launch in August. That launch saw Starship reach a suborbital trajectory, release its payload, and then return for a safe splashdown. The first-stage booster successfully splashed down at a separate location, too.

Flight 11 will be a re-run of the last mission, showcasing the release of dummy Starlink satellites in a suborbital trajectory. However, SpaceX will reportedly remove some heat shields from ...