After recently stunning the world with a successful precision landing of a giant rocket booster, SpaceX is now preparing for the test flight of its most powerful launch vehicle yet.
SpaceX will once again attempt a complex maneuver to guide the booster back into the mechanical arms, or “chopsticks,” of its launch tower. This nearly 400-foot (121-meter) rocket is scheduled to lift off from SpaceX’s Starbase facility near Brownsville, Texas, as early as November 19.
The two-stage megarocket, which includes the Starship spacecraft stacked on top of the Super Heavy booster, will attempt to launch within a 30-minute window starting at 5 p.m. ET on Tuesday. SpaceX will stream the event live via the company’s X account, though the timing may change.
US President-elect Donald Trump will attend, alongside SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, marking another significant moment in Musk’s growing ties with Trump.
SpaceX’s long-term goal is to support NASA’s mission to land astronauts on the moon by 2026. The Starship spacecraft’s upper stage will serve as a lunar lander, ferrying astronauts to the surface. These test flights are key to developing a system for rapidly reusing the Super Heavy boosters and Starship spacecraft for future missions, helping to lower costs and shorten the time it takes to send cargo and crew to space.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has confirmed that it doesn’t need to conduct an extensive review for this test flight since the path closely resembles earlier trials. The FAA stated that SpaceX has met all the safety and licensing requirements for the suborbital test.
SpaceX’s fifth integrated Starship test flight on October 13 drew international attention as the company attempted to land the 232-foot-tall (71-meter) Super Heavy booster back onto a giant structure after it detached from the Starship spacecraft. Using its giant “chopsticks,” SpaceX successfully captured the Super Heavy booster midair.
“Starship’s fifth test was a milestone in our journey towards a fully reusable rocket system,” SpaceX said in a statement.
