SpaceX is gearing up for its sixth test flight of Starship, scheduled for as early as Monday, November 18, with a 30-minute launch window opening at 4:00 p.m. CT.
A live webcast will start about 30 minutes before liftoff, available on SpaceX’s X account and the new X TV app. As with previous tests, the timing is flexible, so viewers are encouraged to follow SpaceX’s X account for real-time updates.
Building on the fifth flight, which successfully tested the reusability of both the Super Heavy booster and Starship’s upper stage, this flight will push further towards a fully reusable launch system. In the previous test, the Super Heavy booster returned to Starbase and was caught by the tower’s chopstick arms, while Starship’s upper stage achieved a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
For this next test, SpaceX aims to advance ship and booster capabilities. The Super Heavy booster will attempt another return and catch, and the upper stage will perform an in-space burn with a Raptor engine to test capabilities for future orbital missions. This test will also focus on the heatshield and flight adjustments needed to make the Starship system fully reusable. Changes include additional heat protection experiments and tweaks to entry angles, allowing engineers to analyze how Starship’s heatshield and flaps handle intense reentry conditions.
SpaceX has also upgraded the booster’s hardware to add more redundancy, reinforce key structural areas, and streamline fuel offloading after a successful catch. Software controls and safety protocols have been enhanced to ensure that, if the booster or tower systems aren’t functioning as expected, the booster will safely land in the Gulf of Mexico instead.
The Starship upper stage will once again splash down in the Indian Ocean. Alongside testing new thermal protection materials, engineers are also studying catch-enabling hardware for future designs, including intentional heat shield gaps and a high-angle descent to gather data for improved landing profiles.
The new late-afternoon launch window at Starbase allows for daylight reentry over the Indian Ocean, improving visibility for tracking. This is going to be great to see a landing in daylight for the first time. To see Mechzilla’s “chopsticks” catch the Starship booster is going to yet another incredible sight.
