NEW YORK, October 14. /TASS/. SpaceX successfully completed the 11th test launch of its rocket carrying the Starship prototype, which splashed down in the Indian Ocean.

The prototype lifted off from the Starbase launch site in Texas at 6:24 p.m. local time (11:24 p.m. GMT). Starship's flight lasted one hour and six minutes.

During the test launch, the spacecraft again deployed eight simulated Starlink communications satellites from its cargo bay. The company also successfully ignited the Raptor engine and tested improvements aimed at increasing the spacecraft's reliability during its return to Earth.

A fiery flash appeared after the splashdown.

On March 15, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced that he would launch Starship carrying the humanoid robot Optimus to Mars in late 2026. He stated that if the robot's Mars flights are successful, then human-carrying ships could be sent in 2029. The entrepreneur's primary goal is to create a self-sufficient city on Mars in 20 years.

According to the company's plans, the Starship space system will be versatile and capable of being used in various versions for manned flights to low-Earth orbit, satellite launches, and missions to the Moon and Mars, as well as to more distant celestial bodies.