Starship IFT-11 Recap

about 3 hours ago

The recent Starship flight test, IFT-11, marked the final launch of the version 2 ship and booster. Wikipedia: Starship Flight Test 11 notes the use of booster B15 (second flight) and ship 38. This was also the last launch from the original pad with the showerhead watercooler, which proceeded smoothly based on external observations.

Some heat shield tiles were lost during launch and reentry, with a possible small explosion near the skirt section. Evidence suggests at least two burn-throughs on the belly, as captured by TheSpaceEngineer:

So yeah some amount of burnthrough on both tanks https://t.co/y5X5EuMtyX pic.twitter.com/oOXMzFLSMf
— TheSpaceEngineer (@mcrs987) October 14, 2025

These incidents appear linked to areas where tiles were intentionally removed, near the tail and upper quarter, as shown in Starship Gazer’s photo:

Close up view of Starship 38's thermal protection system heat shield tiles during rollout today.

10/11/25 pic.twitter.com/dgsyHJxiN5
— Starship Gazer (@StarshipGazer) October 11, 2025

Significant tile loss and heat damage were observed, alongside deformed exposed metal. The bank maneuver succeeded, landing at the intended spot in the ocean. Aft flaps performed better than in prior tests. Starlink satellite deployment improved, with no issues compared to earlier flights.

It looks like SpaceX can handle a catch attempt for ship. Quick, or reusability at all, for ship is questionable at this point, with the amount of tile loss and what these intense hot spots will do to the steel structure.

It appears SpaceX solved the most pressing issues on ship and booster version 2, which makes it a perfect time to switch to version 3. With a little luck, we could see the next flight at the end of Q1 2026.

Starship Program Timeline

Test	Date	Days Elapsed	Version Booster	Version Ship
IFT-1	20.04.23	-	V1 - B7	V1 - S24
IFT-2	18.11.23	212	V1 - B9	V1 - S25
IFT-3	14.03.24	117	V1 - B10	V1 - S28
IFT-4	06.06.24	84	V1 - B11	V1 - S29
IFT-5	13.10.24	129	V1 - B12	V1 - S30
IFT-6	19.11.24	37	V1 - B13	V1 - S31
IFT-7	16.01.25	58	V2 - B14(1)	V2 - S33
IFT-8	06.03.25	49	V2 - B15	V2 - S34
IFT-9	27.03.25	82	V2 - B14(2)	V2 - S35
IFT-10	24.08.25	150	V2 - B16	V2 - S37
IFT-11	13.10.205	50	V2 – B15(2)	V2 – S38

Flight Trajectory Comparison

Speed Comparison

Speed [km_h] x Seconds [s] (4).png

Altitude Comparison

Altitude [km] x Seconds [s] (4).png

Change between versions

Booster V1 + Ship V1 (IFT-3 to IFT-6):
- Average Speed @ MECO: 5,455 km/h
- Average Altitude @ MECO: 66 km
Booster V2 + Ship V2 (IFT-7 to IFT-11):
- Average Speed @ MECO: 4,574 km/h
- Average Altitude @ MECO: 60.4 km

MECO at 160 seconds from IFT-5 to IFT-11. Ship V2’s heavier design reduces speed and altitude.

Similarity between IFT-10 and -11

Even though IFT-10 lost one engine around 95 seconds into the flight, both boosters were tracking each other extremely closely. At MECO, the difference in Speed and Altitude was only 1,2%. Before 120 seconds, the difference was smaller than 1% and often 0%.

Starship Specifications

Component	Details
Full Stack
Height	123 m
Diameter	9 m
Payload Capacity (Reusable)	100–150 t
Starship Spacecraft
Height	52 m
Diameter	9 m
Super Heavy Booster
Height	71 m
Diameter	9 m

Source: SpaceX Starship Overview

Remaining Milestones for Starship

Launch: ✅
Stage separation: ✅
Orbit: Almost (reached orbital velocity but slightly below orbit for controlled reentry)
Bellyflop: ✅
Safe booster landing: ✅
Booster reuse: ✅
Reentry without damage: ❌ (heat tiles fell off)
Safe ship landing: ❌
Ship reuse: ❌
In-orbit refueling: ❌
Leaving low Earth orbit (LEO): ❌
Human life support: ❌
Moon/Mars return & landing: ❌
Lift off from Moon/Mars: ❌