SpaceX completes 11th Starship test before debuting upgraded prototype

SpaceX launched its 11th test flight of the Starship rocket on Monday, the last before the company begins testing an upgraded version for moon and Mars missions.

The rocket, comprising the Starship upper stage atop its Super Heavy booster, lifted off from the company's Texas facility. After sending the Starship stage into space, the Super Heavy booster completed a soft water landing in the Gulf of Mexico, testing a landing engine configuration before blowing itself up.

Monday's test, similar to its August mission, involved deploying mock Starlink satellites, re-igniting engines in space, and testing heat shield tiles during re-entry before splashing down west of Australia.

Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy said on X the mission was "another major step toward landing Americans on the moon's south pole."

In future tests, SpaceX plans to test an upgraded Starship prototype with features for long-duration missions, including docking adapters and hardware key to orbital refueling, a complex process involving two Starships docking in orbit to transfer hundreds of tonnes of super-cooled propellant.

This iteration of Starship is expected to fly by the end of this year or early next year, with a refueling mission with two Starships to occur next year.

(With input from Reuters)