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It’s official: SpaceX is “go” to launch what may be its most ambitious Starship test flight yet, and if you’re hoping to watch it live online, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered.
SpaceX’s next Starship test launch, called Starship Flight 5, is now officially scheduled to launch on Sunday, Oct. 13, at 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT) from the company’s Starbase facility near Boca Chica Beach in South Texas. It will be 7 a.m. local time at the site at launch time. You’ll be able to watch the launch live on Space.com, courtesy of a SpaceX simulcast, beginning at 7:25 a.m. EDT (1125 GMT).
As its name suggests, Flight 5 is SpaceX’s fifth test flight of its massive Starship and Super Heavy rocket, the world’s largest and most powerful booster. For this flight, SpaceX hopes to launch Starship on a smooth flight and reentry to splash down in the Indian Ocean. But in a twist, SpaceX will attempt to return the Super Heavy first stage to its launch pad and capture the booster in mid-air using giant metal “chopstick” arms of its “Mechazilla” pad structure. The system is designed to shorten the turnaround time of Starship launches. Follow our Starship live updates for more mission milestones.
What time is SpaceX’s Starship Flight 5 launch?
SpaceX’s Starship Flight 5 is currently scheduled to launch at 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT), or 7 a.m. CDT from the company’s Starbase test site near Boca Chica Beach in South Texas. However, SpaceX has a 30-minute window in which to launch the Flight 5 mission. That means, Starship could lift off anytime between 8 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. EDT (1230 GMT).
SpaceX engineers have spent years preparing and months testing for the booster catch attempt, with technicians pouring tens of thousands of hours into building the infrastructure to maximize our chances for success,” SpaceX wrote in a mission overview. “We accept no compromises when it comes to ensuring the safety of the public and our team, and the return will only be attempted if conditions are right.”
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When fully stacked, SpaceX’s Starship and Super Heavy booster are the world’s tallest and most powerful rocket. They stand nearly 400 feet tall (122 meters), with 33 Raptor engines powering the Super Heavy first stage while six Raptor engines power the Starship spacecraft.
SpaceX reached space with a Starship for the first time on the Flight 4 test flight on June 6, but the Starship vehicle experienced some burn through on its fins during reentry. The Super Heavy successfully made a “soft landing” splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.
“The fifth flight test of Starship will aim to take another step towards full and rapid reusability,” SpaceX wrote in its mission overview. “The primary objectives will be attempting the first ever return to launch site and catch of the Super Heavy booster and another Starship reentry and landing burn, aiming for an on-target splashdown of Starship in the Indian Ocean.”
SpaceX plans for Starship and Super Heavy to be a fully reusable launch system. NASA has picked the towering stainless steel rocket to land its Artemis 3 astronauts on the moon in late 2026.
Related: Read our SpaceX Starship and Super Heavy guide for a detailed look
Initially, the Federal Aviation Administration told SpaceX that Flight 5 would not receive a launch license until sometime in November due to the time needed for reviews. That prompted complaints from SpaceX, which felt the delay was unnecessary since the company had been ready to to launch since August. The FAA ultimately issued a new launch license to SpaceX on Oct. 12, clearing the way for the launch.
“The FAA has issued a license modification authorizing SpaceX to launch multiple missions of the Starship/Super Heavy vehicle on the Flight 5 mission profile,” FAA officials wrote in an Oct. 12 statement. “The FAA determined SpaceX met all safety, environmental and other licensing requirements for the suborbital test flight.”
Can I watch the SpaceX’s Starship Flight 5 launch?
Yes, you can watch SpaceX’s Starship Flight 5 launch online, and there are several sites where you’ll be able to find livestreams, including Space.com.
SpaceX’s official launch livestream can be found on the company’s X account (formerly Twitter), starting 35 minutes before liftoff — so, at about 7:25 a.m. EDT (1125 GMT).
Space.com’s own VideoFromSpace YouTube channel will simulcast SpaceX’s official webcast, and it will appear on this page and at the top of our homepage.
However, several SpaceX-watching sites with cameras at Starbase will host livestreams in the hours ahead of the launch. NASASpaceflight.com’s YouTube channel, for example, regularly offers live views of SpaceX’s Starship activities at
Starbase pads and other locations. Its hosts will offer live commentary during the fueling process as in the past.
If you do live within driving distance of SpaceX’s Starbase test site, you can try and watch the launch live in person. While SpaceX doesn’t have an official viewing site, the Starship pad is visible from several public beaches.
On South Padre Island, you can find clear views of Starship’s pad from the shore of Isla Blanca Park and Cameron County Amphitheater. I watched SpaceX’s Starship Flight 1 from this location in April 2023. There is also a public restroom, which is
a plus, but traffic into the park can be heavy ahead of a launch so plan to arrive early. You’ll also need to bring a folding chair, water, sunscreen and maybe some snacks as you see fit. The shoreline of nearby Port Isabel can also be a good viewing zone for launches.
How long is SpaceX’s Starship Flight 5?
If SpaceX replicates its Flight 4 profile for Starship Flight 5, the mission should last just over an hour.
Flight 5 will launch the Starship vehicle on a trajectory that will carry it into space and reenter over the Indian Ocean, west of Australia.
“Starship will fly a similar trajectory as the previous flight test with splashdown targeted in the Indian Ocean,” SpaceX wrote in its mission overview. “This flight path does not require a deorbit burn for reentry, maximizing public safety while still providing the opportunity to meet our primary objective of a controlled reentry and soft water landing of Starship.”
The fate of the Super Heavy booster, however, is not firm. While SpaceX hopes to try and catch it in midair during a return to its launch pad about 7 minutes after liftoff, the company may also soft-land it in the Gulf of Mexico as on Flight 4.
“Thousands of distinct vehicle and pad criteria must be met prior to a return and catch attempt of the Super Heavy booster, which will require healthy systems on the booster and tower and a manual command from the mission’s Flight Director,” SpaceX wrote. If this command is not sent prior to the completion of the boostback burn, or if automated health checks show unacceptable conditions with Super Heavy or the tower, the booster will default to a trajectory that takes it to a landing burn and soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.
What if Starship can’t launch on Sunday?
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If SpaceX is unable to launch Starship Flight 5 on Oct. 13, the company may be able to try again 24 hours later on Oct. 14.
According to a road closure alert from Cameron County, the region of South Texas that includes SpaceX’s Starbase facility, officials have listed road and beach closures at Boca Chica Beach for launch day on Oct. 13, with “possible closures” on Oct. 14 and Oct. 15. Those closures run from from 12 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time for all three days, suggesting that SpaceX could have up to three opportunities to launch Flight 5.
As always, any backup launch attempt does depend on how far SpaceX reaches in its Starship and Super Heavy fueling process. SpaceX has said in the past that it takes several days to restock the more than 10 million pounds of super-cold liquid methane and liquid oxygen propellant needed for launch.
If a substantial technical glitch or concern occurs during the Flight 5 launch countdown, SpaceX would likely have to wait until it is solved to try again.
Editor’s note: Visit Space.com early on Oct. 13 for complete coverage of SpaceX’s Starship Flight 5 launch test.
