SpaceX Plans to Conduct Sixth Test Flight of World’s Most Powerful Rocket, Starship, in Texas on November 18.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has also issued a NOTAM warning about the rocket launch in SpaceX’s launch area at Boca Chica, Texas. The launch window will begin at 4 PM local time on November 18 (5 AM on November 19 in Hanoi).
SpaceX took 18 months to complete the first five test flights of Starship, with the fifth flight occurring just last month. If the company successfully conducts the sixth flight next week, it will mark the fastest turnaround to date, just over a month since the most recent flight.
Starship during a high-altitude test flight. (Photo: SpaceX).
What’s in Store for Starship’s Sixth Flight?
In many respects, the sixth flight will resemble the fifth, but there are some significant differences. The Super Heavy booster will again test the “catch” landing method – the arms of the launch tower will catch and hold the rocket as it returns to the launch pad, then lower it to the ground. This method allows for multiple reuses of the booster and significantly reduces the cost of transporting cargo to orbit.
The upper stage of Starship will launch into space, fly along an incomplete trajectory, and then return to Earth’s atmosphere to land in the Indian Ocean. However, this time, it will attempt to re-ignite one of its Raptor engines while in space to collect valuable operational data. It will also test a new heat shield design during re-entry.
Another difference is that the launch will take place later in the day so that the upper stage’s landing in the Indian Ocean can be captured in daylight, ensuring better detail. In previous flights, this stage landed at night, so the footage did not provide as much information for the engineering team as daytime footage would.
Achievements in Starship’s Previous Five Flights
In the first test flight on April 20, 2023, three of the 33 engines on the booster failed to ignite. The rocket subsequently lost control and self-destructed.
The second flight on November 18, 2023, progressed further, reaching sufficient altitude for the booster and upper stage to separate as planned. The booster exploded before landing, and the upper stage self-destructed, although the rocket system successfully reached space.
The third test on March 14 of this year was partially successful, with the upper stage once again reaching space, but it could not return to Earth intact.
In the subsequent flight on June 6, the upper stage reached an altitude of over 200 kilometers and traveled at a speed of more than 27,000 km/h. Both the booster and upper stage landed safely in the ocean.
The fifth flight on October 13 was the most ambitious test to date, with the Super Heavy booster returning to the launch pad and being safely caught by the Mechazilla launch tower using the “catch” method. Meanwhile, the upper stage of Starship landed in the Indian Ocean.
