Just weeks after SpaceX amazed the world with the precision landing of its massive rocket booster, the company is gearing up for another test flight of the most powerful launch vehicle ever constructed. This milestone event is scheduled for November 19 at the SpaceX Starbase facility near Brownsville, Texas.
In this test, SpaceX will once again attempt to recover the Super Heavy booster by steering it into the mechanical arms, known as “chopsticks,” attached to the launch tower. The nearly 400-foot-tall (121-meter) rocket system, which includes the Starship spacecraft stacked atop the Super Heavy booster, aims to demonstrate groundbreaking advancements in rocket reusability.
The launch window opens at 5 p.m. ET on Tuesday, and SpaceX will livestream the event on its X account (formerly Twitter). However, timing is subject to change based on weather and technical conditions.
The event will see attendance from US President-elect Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, emphasizing Musk’s increasing influence in political circles. Their presence adds a layer of significance to the launch as SpaceX continues to set new benchmarks in space exploration.
The ultimate goal of these tests is to refine the rocket’s capabilities for rapid recovery and reuse. This is a crucial step toward reducing the cost and time required for space missions. SpaceX is collaborating with NASA to use the Starship spacecraft as a lunar lander, with plans to return astronauts to the moon as early as 2026.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has greenlit the launch, confirming that all safety, environmental, and licensing requirements have been met. Unlike previous flights requiring a lengthy review, this test flight will closely follow the trajectory of the October 13 test, making additional regulatory analysis unnecessary. “The FAA determined SpaceX met all safety, environmental, and other licensing requirements for the suborbital test flight,” the agency stated.
The fifth integrated test flight on October 13 gained worldwide attention as SpaceX successfully maneuvered the 232-foot-tall (71-meter) Super Heavy booster back to a massive landing structure using the “chopsticks.” The booster was caught midair, marking a significant milestone in SpaceX’s quest for a fully reusable launch system. SpaceX hailed the test as a “seminal moment” in its development of rapidly reusable rocket systems, which are essential for lowering costs and achieving more frequent missions to space.
As SpaceX continues to push the boundaries of aerospace technology, these test flights not only pave the way for commercial space travel but also solidify the company’s role in shaping humanity’s future in space exploration. The upcoming test flight is expected to further demonstrate SpaceX’s innovative approach to revolutionizing space transportation.
Stay tuned for the live broadcast of this historic event on SpaceX’s X account.
