SpaceX is preparing for its sixth test flight of the Starship, which is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, November 19, at the Starbase facility located in South Texas. The Super Heavy booster, which serves as the first stage of the Starship rocket, was moved to the orbital launch pad on November 14, while the Starship spacecraft itself arrived earlier on November 12. This upcoming test is a significant milestone in the advancement of SpaceX’s reusable spaceflight technology, with a 30-minute launch window set to commence at 5:00 p.m. EST. The company disclosed this information through its official account on X. The Super Heavy booster, along with its 165-foot-tall (50-meter) Starship upper stage, is now poised for integration at the launch pad.
SpaceX intends to utilize the launch tower’s mechanical “chopstick” arms to elevate the spacecraft onto the booster, resulting in a fully stacked configuration that will reach nearly 400 feet tall (122 meters). This assembly will produce the largest and most powerful rocket currently under development.During the fifth test flight on October 13, the booster successfully landed on the launch mount using the tower’s arms, while the spacecraft completed a successful splashdown. These achievements were realized under the guidance of SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk, who remains committed to advancing Starship’s development as part of the company’s overarching goal of interplanetary exploration. The forthcoming flight signifies another attempt to enhance the design and functionality of the rocket’s systems, bringing SpaceX closer to realizing the vision of fully reusable rockets.
