SpaceX Launches Starship’s Sixth Flight Test From Boca Chica, Texas
SpaceX launched the world’s most powerful rocket, the Super-Heavy Starship, this evening on its sixth test flight mission, with both President-elect Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO and newly-appointed DOGE co-chair Elon Musk in attendance.
(Starbase, Texas) SpaceX launched its sixth Starship flight test from Starbase, Texas in front of a roaring crowd – which included both an enthusiastic President-elect President Donald Trump and SpaceX Chief Executive Officer and newly-appointed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) co-chair Elon Musk in attendance. – at 5:00pm EST (22.01 GMT) this evening.
Photo of the launch of SpaceX’s Starship’s sixth test flight this evening at 5pm EST from Boca Chica, Texas courtesy of SpaceX on X, @spacex.
Liftoff of the 30-foot wide, 397-foot-tall Starship rocket took place from Pad 1 at Starbase at Boca Chica Beach, Texas during the opening of a 30-minute launch window (at 5pm EST). The mission, dubbed Flight 6, marks the fourth time SpaceX has launched Starship in 2024 and the sixth test flight of the fully integrated rocket in its program history, per SpaceFlight Now.
A video of the launch from SpaceX’s X account, @spacex, can be found here:
Per SpaceX’s X account, @spacex, “today’s flight test aims to expand the envelope on ship and booster capabilities and get closer to bringing reuse of the entire system online.”
According to another post by @spacex, the objectives of today’s launch included: (1) the booster once again returning to the launch site for catch, (2) reigniting a ship Raptor engine while in space and (3) testing a suite of heat shield experiments and maneuvering changes for ship reentry and descent over the Indian Ocean.
Prior to the launch, President-elect Donald Trump posted on X: “I’m heading to the Great State of Texas to watch the launch of the largest object ever to be elevated, not only to Space, but simply by lifting off the ground. Good luck to @ElonMusk and the Great Patriots involved in this incredible project!”
UPDATE: ** Starship’s planned "chopstick catch" landing was aborted in favor of with a splashdown of the upper stage Starship rocket in the Gulf of Mexico, which occurred at 5.09 p.m. EST (22.09 GMT).
Today’s mission initially planned to feature another attempt, similar to that employed during Starship’s Fifth Flight Test, by SpaceX to catch its Super Heavy booster back at the launch pad using its ‘Mechazilla’ tower – according to SpaceFlight Now, the launch team planned to track data on both the rocket and the tower before making a call about whether they would be in a good position to catch the 71 m (232 ft) first stage, and the ultimate decision rested on a final command by the mission’s flight director.
“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,” SpaceX wrote in a prelaunch statement, per SpaceFlight Now. “We accept no compromises when it comes to ensuring the safety of the public and our team, and the return will only take place if conditions are right.”
Additionally, according to SpaceX’s X account, @spacex, today’s Starship flight test has “a special payload onboard” – a banana.
“This universally-accepted measurement of scale is approximately the size of one Starlink mini,” reads a post from @spacex written earlier this afternoon.
