SpaceX is gearing as much as launch its subsequent Starship check flight, a mission that may try a second catch of the world’s largest rocket on Monday (Nov. 18). However for those who’re hoping to observe the launch reside on-line, you will have to know when to tune in.
At present, SpaceX’s Starship Flight 6 check flight is scheduled to launch no sooner than Monday, Nov. 18, at 5 p.m. EST (2100 GMT) from the corporate’s Starbase website in South Texas, close to Boca Chica Seashore. This will probably be SpaceX’s sixth check flight of a Starship spacecraft and its Tremendous Heavy booster, in addition to the second try to catch the enormous Tremendous Heavy after a beautiful launch and rocket catch final month.
You may watch the launch reside on House.com, courtesy of SpaceX, in a livestream that may probably start about half-hour earlier than launch time. Comply with our Starship reside updates for extra mission milestones.
What time is SpaceX’s Starship Flight 6 check launch?
As of press time, the Starship Flight 6 check is scheduled to launch at 5 p.m. EST (2100 GMT), or 4 p.m. CST from SpaceX’s Starbase facility close to Boca Chica Seashore in South Texas. SpaceX has a 30-minute window wherein to launch the Flight 5 mission. Which means that Starship Flight 6 may carry off someday between 5 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. EST (2130 GMT).
“The subsequent Starship flight check goals to develop the envelope on ship and booster capabilities and get nearer to bringing reuse of the complete system on-line.,” SpaceX wrote in a mission overview.
SpaceX’s Starship and Tremendous Heavy booster stand almost 400 ft tall (122 meters) when absolutely assembled, making it the world’s tallest rocket. The primary stage’s 33 Raptor engines and 6 others on the Starship higher stage additionally make it the world’s strongest launcher.
The primary Starship to achieve house was the Flight 3 check car, which launched on March 14. Flight 4, on June 6, was a whole success, with each Tremendous Heavy and Starship touchdown of their respective splashdown zones.
SpaceX made a grander demonstration on Oct. 13 with Flight 5. That mission not solely despatched its Starship into house and landed it within the Indian Ocean but additionally returned its Tremendous Heavy booster to Earth in a profitable catch by the “Mechazilla” gantry arms on Starbase’s launch tower.
The sixth Starship check flight goals to duplicate SpaceX’s Flight 5 success, in addition to check new programs, the corporate mentioned in a mission overview.
“Goals embrace the booster as soon as once more returning to the launch website for catch, reigniting a ship Raptor engine whereas in house, and testing a set of warmth defend experiments and maneuvering adjustments for ship reentry and descent over the Indian Ocean,” SpaceX wrote. “{Hardware} upgrades for this flight add extra redundancy to booster propulsion programs, improve structural energy at key areas, and shorten the timeline to dump propellants from the booster following a profitable catch. Mission designers additionally up to date software program controls and commit standards for the booster’s launch and return.”
SpaceX is designing its Starship and Tremendous Heavy rockets to be a totally reusable launch system. NASA has picked Starship to land its Artemis 3 astronauts on the moon by 2026, with SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk stating that the corporate will attempt to launch a Starship to Mars as early as that yr.
Associated: Learn our SpaceX Starship and Tremendous Heavy information for an in depth look
Can I watch the SpaceX’s Starship Flight 6 launch?
Sure, it is possible for you to to observe SpaceX’s Starship Flight 6 check launch on-line. As with previous Starship launches, there are a number of livestreams you’ll observe to see the launch, together with on House.com.
SpaceX’s official launch livestream will be discovered on the corporate’s X account (previously Twitter), in addition to its Flight 6 mission web page, beginning half-hour earlier than liftoff at about 4:30p.m. EST (2030 GMT). House.com’s VideoFromSpace YouTube channel will simulcast SpaceX’s official webcast, and it’ll seem on this web page and on the high of our homepage. This timing may change if SpaceX adjustments the launch time.
The NASASpaceflight.com YouTube channel, in addition to On a regular basis Astronaut, are some examples of different websites that may provide reside views of SpaceX’s Starship actions at Starbase and different places forward of the launch. NASASpaceflight.com, particularly, will probably characteristic reside views through the fueling processes and early prelaunch checks earlier than SpaceX’s webcast begins.
If you’ll be able to drive to Starbase, you may attempt to watch the launch reside in particular person, however do bear in mind that SpaceX does not have an official viewing website. Nevertheless, the Starship pad is seen from a number of public seashores within the surrounding space.
At South Padre Island, for instance, you could find good views and a transparent line of sight of SpaceX’s Starship pad from Isla Blanca Park and Cameron County Amphitheater. This spot is the place I watched SpaceX’s Starship Flight 1 from in April 2023. The shoreline of close by Port Isabel may also be viewing zone for launches. Visitors will be heavy into each websites, so arriving early is a good suggestion. Remember to pack a folding chair, snacks, water, bug spray and different necessities.
How lengthy is SpaceX’s Starship Flight 6?
SpaceX’s Flight 6 Starship check flight ought to final simply over an hour, primarily based on its present 65-minute flight plan. It’s anticipated to fly on the same trajectory to Flight 5, which launched a Starship car on a path that entered house, coasted for a interval, after which reentered over the Indian Ocean, west of Australia.
“The returning booster will decelerate from supersonic speeds, leading to audible sonic booms within the space across the touchdown zone ,” SpaceX wrote in its mission overview. “Starship’s higher stage will fly the identical suborbital trajectory because the earlier flight check, with splashdown focused within the Indian Ocean. An extra goal for this flight will probably be making an attempt an in-space burn utilizing a single Raptor engine, additional demonstrating the capabilities required to conduct a ship deorbit burn previous to orbital missions..”
Whereas SpaceX hopes to get better the Tremendous Heavy booster by catching it in large steel “chopsticks” on the launch tower, the corporate may wave off the try if any issue will not be good. If any standards aren’t met, SpaceX may as an alternative choose to soft-land the rocket within the Gulf of Mexico, because it did on Flight 4.
“We settle for no compromises in terms of making certain the security of the general public and our group, and the return will solely happen if circumstances are proper,” SpaceX wrote.
TIME (Hr:Min:Sec) | EVENT | Header Cell – Column 2 |
---|---|---|
T-1:15:00 | Flight director ballot for gasoline loading | Row 0 – Cell 2 |
T-0:49:50 | Starship liquid methane loading begins | Row 1 – Cell 2 |
T-0:49:21 | Starship liquid oxygen loading begins | Row 2 – Cell 2 |
T-0:41:15 | Tremendous Heavy liquid methane loading begins | Row 3 – Cell 2 |
T-0:35:39 | Tremendous Heavy liquid oxygen loading begins | Row 4 – Cell 2 |
T-00:19:40 | Tremendous Heavy Raptor engine chilldown | Row 5 – Cell 2 |
T-00:3:20 | Starship fueling full | Row 6 – Cell 2 |
T-00:2:50 | Tremendous Heavy fueling full | Row 7 – Cell 2 |
T-00:0:30 | Flight Director GO for launch | Row 8 – Cell 2 |
T-00:00:10 | Flame deflector activation | Row 9 – Cell 2 |
T-00:00:03 | Raptor ignition sequence startup | Row 10 – Cell 2 |
T-00:00:00 | Liftoff (“Pleasure Assured,” SpaceX says) | Row 11 – Cell 2 |
TIME (Hr:Min:Sec) | FLIGHT EVENT | Header Cell – Column 2 |
---|---|---|
T+00:02 | Liftoff | Row 0 – Cell 2 |
T+01:02 | Starship/Tremendous Heavy attain Max Q | Row 1 – Cell 2 |
T+02:32 | Tremendous Heavy important engine cutoff | Row 2 – Cell 2 |
T+02:39 | Scorching-staging separation/Starship Raptor engine ignition | Row 3 – Cell 2 |
T+02:44 | Tremendous Heavy boostback burn startup | Row 4 – Cell 2 |
T+03:38 | Tremendous Heavy boostback burn engine shutdown | Row 5 – Cell 2 |
T+03:43 | Scorching-stage jettison | Row 6 – Cell 2 |
T+06:25 | Tremendous Heavy is transonic | Row 7 – Cell 2 |
T+06:38 | Tremendous Heavy touchdown burn startup | Row 8 – Cell 2 |
T+07:00 | Tremendous Heavy touchdown burn shutdown anc catch strive | Row 9 – Cell 2 |
T+08:27 | Starship engine cutoff | Row 10 – Cell 2 |
T+00:37:46 | Starship engine relight demonstration | Row 11 – Cell 2 |
T+00:47:13 | Starship reentry | Row 12 – Cell 2 |
T+01:02:06 | Starship transonic | Row 13 – Cell 2 |
T+1:03:12 | Starship is subsonic | Row 14 – Cell 2 |
T+1:04:56 | Touchdown flip | Row 15 – Cell 2 |
T+1:05:01 | Touchdown burn | Row 16 – Cell 2 |
T+1:05:24 | “An thrilling touchdown!” SpaceX says. | Row 17 – Cell 2 |
What if Starship cannot launch on Monday?
If SpaceX is unable to launch Starship Flight 6 on Nov. 18, the corporate could possibly strive once more 24 hours afterward Nov. 19.
Officers with Cameron County, the area of South Texas that features SpaceX’s Starbase facility, have issued a street and seaside closure alert for Boca Chica Seashore for launch day on Nov. 18, with “various days” on Nov. 19 and Nov. 20. These closures run from from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. native time for all three days, suggesting that SpaceX could have at the very least three alternatives to launch Flight 6 subsequent week.
Nevertheless, any backup launch try does rely on how far SpaceX reaches in its Starship and Tremendous Heavy fueling course of throughout a launch countdown. The corporate has mentioned previously that it takes a number of days to restock the greater than 10 million kilos of super-cold liquid methane and liquid oxygen propellant wanted for launch.
“As is the case with all developmental testing, the schedule is dynamic and prone to change, so make sure you verify in right here and keep tuned to our X account for updates,” SpaceX wrote in a Flight 6 mission overview.
Editor’s word: Go to House.com on Nov. 18 for full protection of SpaceX’s Starship Flight 5 launch check.