This weekend, a vibrant community of aerospace technicians, construction workers, and spaceflight enthusiasts gathered in Starbase, Texas, in anticipation of the next critical test flight of SpaceX's Starship rocket. This colossal spacecraft, standing at an impressive 404 feet (123.1 meters), is the largest vehicle ever built for space exploration. The launch is scheduled during a one-hour window starting at 6:30 PM CDT (7:30 PM EDT; 23:30 UTC) on Sunday.
One of the primary concerns for the launch attempt this Sunday is the weather conditions at Starbase, which is located just north of the US-Mexico border. According to SpaceX, there is only a 45 percent chance of favorable weather for liftoff. If successful, the journey will see the rocket travel approximately 66 minutes from the launch pad in Texas to a designated splashdown zone in the Indian Ocean, northwest of Australia.
SpaceX will provide live coverage of the test flight on its official website. Additionally, we have embedded live streams from Spaceflight Now and LabPadre below for your convenience.
This upcoming flight marks the 10th full-scale test flight of the Starship and its Super Heavy booster stage. It represents the fourth flight of an upgraded version of Starship, known as Block 2 or Version 2. SpaceX aims to develop a more reliable and heavy-duty version of this rocket, capable of carrying up to 150 metric tons (approximately 330,000 pounds) of cargo throughout the inner Solar System.
Despite its promise, this iteration of Starship has faced significant challenges. Since the debut of Version 2 in January, SpaceX has experienced a series of setbacks, leaving only two Starship Version 2s remaining for flight, including the one set for launch this Sunday. Following this, SpaceX will transition to Version 3, which is designed to reach low-Earth orbit and facilitate refueling for extended deep space missions.
The cargo capacity of Starship is unprecedented in the history of rocketry. The rocket's massive size, combined with SpaceX's vision of making it fully reusable, could enable both cargo and human missions to destinations like the Moon and Mars. A significant contract for Starship is with NASA, which intends to utilize a version of the spacecraft as a human-rated Moon lander for its Artemis program, aiming to outpace China in lunar exploration.
In addition to its lunar ambitions, SpaceX plans to use Starship to transport heavier Starlink Internet satellites into low-Earth orbit. The US military is also exploring the potential for Starship to participate in various national security missions, many of which were unimaginable a few years ago.
SpaceX aspires to manufacture one Starship rocket daily, matching the production rate of Boeing’s 737 passenger jets. However, achieving this goal requires overcoming a series of technical milestones. Key objectives include the ability to catch and reuse Starships, perform in-orbit ship-to-ship refueling, and conduct long-duration spaceflights to the Moon.
While there was optimism late last year regarding the timeline for achieving these milestones, SpaceX's schedule for catching and refueling Starships has now slipped into next year. A Moon landing is likely several years away, and a potential Mars touchdown may not occur until the 2030s.
Before Starship can pursue these ambitious goals, engineers must ensure the rocket can survive from liftoff through splashdown. This will validate recent modifications to the ship's heat shield. Previous test flights aiming to achieve this ended prematurely, preventing data collection on various tile designs, including those made of ceramic and metallic materials.
The heat shield is designed to protect the rocket’s stainless steel skin from extreme temperatures reaching up to 2,600°F (1,430°C). Last year, while the heat shield performed adequately for controlled splashdowns, it suffered damage during each flight, complicating refurbishment efforts for subsequent missions. SpaceX envisions a future where they can capture returning Starships with robotic arms at the launch pad, enabling rapid turnaround for flights.
In addition to heat shield testing, the objectives for Sunday’s flight include evaluating the engine-out capability of the Super Heavy booster. Engineers plan to intentionally disable one of the Raptor engines used for landing, instead relying on another engine from the rocket's middle ring. At liftoff, 33 methane-fueled Raptor engines will power the booster, but SpaceX will not attempt to catch it back at the launch pad this time.
After launch, six Raptor engines will ignite to propel the upper stage into space. The Starship is also set to release eight Starlink satellite simulators from its payload bay, testing the payload deployment mechanism. A brief restart of one of the ship's Raptor engines will occur around 47 minutes into the mission to adjust its trajectory for reentry, marking a crucial moment for engineers seeking vital heat shield data.
As the countdown to this significant test flight approaches, the aerospace community eagerly awaits the outcomes that could shape the future of space exploration.
