(MENAFN) SpaceX successfully completed the 11th test flight of its Starship rocket on Monday from its Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, according to multiple media reports.

The Starship, the most powerful launch vehicle ever constructed, executed a one-hour test flight showcasing its reusable design—critical for NASA’s upcoming Artemis missions aimed at returning humans to the Moon.

“Another major step toward landing Americans on the Moon's south pole,” Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy tweeted on the social media platform X.

“The progress @SpaceX demonstrated with today's Starship test is critical for our Artemis missions,” Duffy added. “While we prepare for Artemis II, every flight strengthens our progress on Artemis III, and beating China back to the Moon!”

SpaceX’s Starship Version 2 has faced a turbulent year, with the previous three missions encountering in-flight failures and a ground test explosion earlier this year. However, Monday’s launch marked the second consecutive clean flight following a successful August mission.

The company is locked in a high-stakes space race with China to develop the spacecraft that will enable NASA’s targeted moon landing in 2027.

Ensuring the Starship can survive reentry through Earth’s atmosphere—where temperatures exceed 2,600°F (1,426°C)—without damage or loss of communication remains a critical technical challenge. SpaceX aims for the vehicle to return safely for repeated flights.

Industry experts have praised the Starship’s potential to revolutionize space travel. Towering 400 feet (121 meters) tall, the rocket generates a staggering 16.7 million pounds (7,590 tons) of thrust at liftoff.

Its unprecedented size and power are expected to dramatically reduce the cost per pound of transporting cargo to space, a key factor in expanding human activity on the Moon and advancing ambitions for Mars exploration.

Monday’s launch is anticipated to be the final test flight for Starship Version 2. SpaceX announced plans to introduce an upgraded, larger Starship Version 3 in its upcoming test mission.

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