SpaceX Starship lifts off from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, for its sixth flight test on November 19, 2024. Find out the exact SpaceX Starship Flight 10 launch time and how to watch Elon Musk’s Super Heavy rocket test live online this Sunday, August 24. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty Images
Elon Musk’s SpaceX will launch its tenth flight test of the Starship vehicle and Super Heavy booster on Sunday, Aug. 24, more than three months after the last catastrophic attempt.
On Tuesday, May 27, Starship broke up over the Indian Ocean 46 minutes after launch. It was the third flight test failure in succession, though much longer than the two previous tests, both of which ended abruptly with Starship exploding just minutes after launch. Starship was also tested twice in 2023 and four times in 2024.
What Time Will SpaceX’s Starship Flight 10 Launch?
The launch window for SpaceX’s Starship Flight 10 test mission will open at 6:30 p.m. CDT/7:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Aug. 24, though that doesn’t mean that the launch will happen at that exact time. If previous test flights are anything to go by, expect delays. “As is the case with all developmental testing, the schedule is dynamic and likely to change, so be sure to check in here and stay tuned to our X account for updates,” states SpaceX on its website.
The launch will be streamed live on SpaceX.com, YouTube and X (Twitter) about 30 minutes before the launch.
What To Expect During SpaceX’s Starship Flight 10
There will be no attempt to catch the Super Heavy booster as it returns to the launch pad using giant chopsticks, something that has already been successfully tested. This time, the Super Heavy booster will attempt multiple experimental landing burns, including a hover test before splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.
Once airborne, Starship itself will deploy eight dummy Starlink satellites, attempt to relight one of its engines mid-flight, and test a new array of heatshield tiles, materials and fittings during re-entry.
A US national flag blows in the wind as workers prepare the SpaceX Starship rocket as it stands on the launchpad ahead of its scheduled launch from the SpaceX Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas on April 18, 2023. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP) (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty Images
What Is SpaceX’s Starship?
A two-part launch vehicle, Starship is designed to carry 100 tons to Mars or transport up to 100 people on long-duration interplanetary flights, according to SpaceX. The vehicle could also be used for point-to-point flights, reducing times for most international trips to 30 minutes.
Starship refers to the upper part of the rocket, where cargo — such as satellites or humans — would be carried, with the section underneath called the Super Heavy booster. When stacked on the launch pad, the entire vehicle stands around 403 feet (123 meters) tall. Super Heavy is designed to be fully reusable and has been caught in “chopsticks” three times since the first successful test on Oct. 13, 2024. Starship is also designed to land, though that has not been tested yet.
When fully stacked, it’s referred to as the Super Heavy Starship launch vehicle.
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
