SpaceX is targeting Monday, October 13, for the eleventh test flight of its Starship launch system. The launch window is expected to open at 6:15 p.m. CT. 

Similar to past Starship missions, a live webcast will begin about 30 minutes before launch on SpaceX’s website, X account, and X TV app. As with all SpaceX tests, the estimated timeline for Starship Flight 11 remains subject to change based on conditions and readiness.

Super Heavy booster landing test

The upcoming mission will build on the data gathered from Starship’s tenth test flight, focusing on booster performance and upper-stage capabilities. The Super Heavy booster, previously flown on Flight 8, will launch with 24 flight-proven Raptor engines, according to SpaceX in a blog post on its official website. Its primary objective is to validate a new landing burn engine configuration designed for the next generation of Super Heavy.

Instead of returning to Starbase, the Super Heavy booster will follow a trajectory toward the Gulf of America. During descent, it will ignite 13 engines before transitioning to a five-engine divert phase and then completing the landing burn with three central engines, entering a full hover while still above the ocean surface, followed by shutdown and dropping into the Gulf of America.

Starship upper-stage experiments

The Starship upper stage for Flight 11 will carry out a series of in-space demonstrations, including the deployment of eight Starlink simulators that are comparable in size to next-generation Starlink satellites. These payloads will reenter and burn up during descent. A planned Raptor engine relight in orbit will also provide valuable test data.

To evaluate the upper stage’s resilience during reentry, SpaceX engineers have intentionally removed heat shield tiles from select areas to stress-test Starship’s thermal protection system. The vehicle will attempt new maneuvers during descent, including a banking profile and subsonic guidance algorithms intended to simulate future return-to-launch-site missions. The upper stage will ultimately target a splashdown in the Indian Ocean.

SpaceX has already posted a link to the livestream for Starship Flight 11: 

Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) received a significant boost from Canaccord Genuity this week, with analysts lifting their price target to $490 from $333 and reiterating a “Buy” rating for the electric vehicle maker.  

The revised target implies about 10% upside from Tesla’s last close at $443.21. 

New vehicle launches

Canaccord’s research across roughly 30 countries pointed to higher delivery volumes than anticipated, breaking the slowdown from earlier this year, as noted in an Investing.com report. Analysts noted that Tesla’s upcoming vehicle launches are expected to sustain sales momentum globally, even as U.S. tax credits phase out after the third quarter. The firm stated that new models will play a central role in broadening the company’s appeal across multiple markets and customer segments.

“On the EV side, we expect more new models soon – as promised by management. These should help global sales momentum – and potentially help alleviate any post-3Q cliff in the U.S. after EV tax credits go away. And these new vehicles should be interesting,” analyst George Gianarikas noted.

The analysts also highlighted Tesla’s progress in autonomous driving. Earlier this month, the company secured approval from Arizona regulators to begin road testing its robotaxi program in the Phoenix metro area. The pilot program includes vehicles equipped with safety drivers, positioning Tesla to advance its ride-hailing ambitions while gathering critical real-world data.

Expanding energy storage demand

In addition to vehicle growth, Canaccord emphasized Tesla’s rapidly expanding energy storage business as a major contributor to future earnings. With utilities and hyperscale data centers increasing adoption of battery storage, Tesla is positioned to benefit from rising demand for grid stability and on-site power solutions. Elon Musk’s xAI has already tapped Tesla energy for its facilities, highlighting broader use cases for Tesla’s energy business.

“In energy storage, we expect an improvement in momentum. We, the world, need more power, and we need more storage for both utilities and data centers. Hyperscaler data centers are looking for power that is not fully tied to the grid: “behind the meter” or distributed generation solutions that supply power directly to an onsite property but are still typically connected to the main utility grid,” the analyst noted.

The analysts also pointed to Musk’s new compensation package, which ties ambitious performance milestones directly to long-term shareholder returns. They view his ongoing leadership and alignment with investor outcomes as key positives, while acknowledging environmental risks tied to large-scale energy projects.

Tesla stock (NASDAQ: TSLA) has pushed yet another Wall Street firm to boost its price target, but this time, shares have also held their ‘Buy’ rating, as Canaccord Genuity analyst George Gianarikas made both adjustments.

Gianarikas raised Canaccord’s price target on Tesla shares up to $490 from $333, as the stock has been well above the latter number for some time.

Shares are currently trading at around $443, and have not traded at $333 since the beginning of September. Tesla shares have increased by over 34 percent in the past month.

A new note written to investors from Gianarikas breaks down each division of the company and how it will contribute to Tesla’s overall growth through the next several quarters. Investors are certainly concerned about the removal of the $7,500 EV tax credit, but it’s important to note that Tesla is much more than an automotive stock play.

Affordable Models

Gianarikas notes that Canaccord expects higher deliveries this quarter, in part due to the removal of the tax credit, which will occur today.

The firm expects Tesla to offset the loss of the tax credit with the introduction of new, affordable models, something the company has stated it is working on and plans to introduce during the second half of this year.

Now, with just a quarter left in 2025, it seems Tesla plans to launch those models within the next three months. Canaccord said:

“…on the EV side, we expect more new models soon – as promised by management. These should help global sales momentum – and potentially help alleviate any post-3Q cliff in the US after EV tax credits go away. And these new vehicles should be interesting.”

Tesla Energy

The company’s Energy division is one that consistently flies under the radar and gets little attention. With an increase in data centers and the need for more power, Canaccord thinks this is where Tesla could see some true growth over the next few years:

“Fully using grid resources not only takes significant time and effort but is increasingly met with resistance from utilities and consumers as they express concerns about increasing power prices and impact on grid resiliency. Elon Musk himself used behind-the-meter solutions like methane gas turbines and generators in Memphis to build his xAI facility – although next time he should be careful not to pollute the environment when he does it. Energy storage will play a material role in behind-the-meter solutions.”

Elon Musk’s Comp Package

Locking up Musk for the next several years was a crucial part of keeping Tesla as a bullish stock play for many firms.

The new comp plan for CEO Elon Musk will benefit investors as well as the Tesla frontman, and although these tranches are challenging, they appear to be well within the realm of possibility.

“Those targets, if achieved, promise great returns for Tesla shareholders. Embedded in the upcoming shareholder vote is an opportunity for Tesla shareholders to potentially invest in xAI as well. Given Mr. Musk’s singular business achievements, we see his commitment to the company and bold targets as – mostly -a positive. $400B in EBITDA. Yowza. That’s one of Mr. Musk’s operational targets over a 10-year period and compares to ~$15B TTM as of 2Q25. Mr. Musk is who he is, and it is hard to underestimate him. But, a lot needs to go right for him to achieve it.”

Price Target and Rating

Gianarikas says there was a potential for a stock downgrade while mulling what forecast to put on Tesla shares, especially as the firm admits it “still struggles” with the valuation. Near-term, however, there are more catalysts than drawbacks.

With the affordable EVs presumably on the way, as well as plenty of momentum in Robotaxi and Optimus projects, Tesla is sitting in a good spot, especially from an investor perspective, Canaccord believes.

It ups its price target to $490 and reiterates its ‘Buy’ rating.