SpaceX Starship test flight: Elon Musk’s sixth rocket flight test complete
Sixth Starship flight test live
Sixth Starship flight test 6 as it happened
The SpaceX team pushed the Starship's limits on test flight 6 to improve its design so that they can develop completely reusable mega rockets. While they weren't able to bring the Super Heavy booster back to the launchpad and had to give it a soft landing in the Gulf of Mexico, important lessons were learned.
The ship portion of the Starship withstood reentry with the redesigned and reduced heat sheild, although it did experience some extreme heating, which was to be expected.
The engineers will now look at the data to prepare for the seventh test flight of Starship.
You can watch the flight of Starship test 6 below.
Starship survives reentry and splashes down in Indian Ocean
The Starship test flight six ended with a vertical splashdown west of Australia in the Indian Ocean after spending a little over an hour traversing the Earth on suborbital trajectory.
Starship beginning reentry for splashdown in Indian Ocean
The SpaceX crew will be watching to see how the ship withstands reentry as they removed some of the heatshield plates to push the envelop of what the Starship can tolerate.
Starship Super Heavy booster goes for a swim: splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico
The Super Heavy booster failed to meet the criteria to return to the Starbase launchpad to be caught by the chopsticks for a second time during SpaceX's test flight 6 of Starship.
The team was still able to use this test flight to perform other maneuvers before it gently “landed” in the Gulf of Mexico. SpaceX has asked people not to get close to the Super Heavy booster’s splashdown set for their safety and the SpaceX recovery crews.
No-go for tower catch
Super Heavy is proceeding to a landing burn and splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico as it didn't meet the criteria for a catch by the chopsticks.
Animation of Starship sixth test flight sequence and path
Starship test flight 6 after it leaves the Starbase in Texas, the Super Heavy booster and the ship will separate. The booster will return to the launchpad to be caught by the shopsticks on the tower.
The ship portion will fly across the Gulf of Mexico in a suborbital trajectory passing south of Florida before it strikes out over the Atlantic Ocean.
It will cross over souther Africa and Madagascar, then fly out over the Indian Ocean.
If all goes well, it will make a controlled descent into the Indian Ocean west of Australia.
Watch Starship test flight 6 as viewed from the International Space Station
Sen, a company that wants to democratize space using video, has placed cameras aboard the International Space Station, which with any luck will be able to aloow viewers to watch the flight of Starship test flight 6 from outer space.
Donald Trump joins Elon Musk at SpaceX Starbase for Starship test flight 6
Donald Trump and Elon Musk have been nearly inseparable since the Republican candidate won the 2024 presidential election. The 47th president-elect has joined his billionaire campaign benefactor at Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas for the Starship test flight 6.
Starship mission to Mars
Elon Musk has envisioned making mankind a multi-planet species. Part of the plan is to set up a colony on Mars, sending humans there possibly as soon as 2029. Integral to that effort is the Starship rocket system, the most powerful rocket system every built.
ICYMI: Recap of SpaceX’s Starship test flight 5
Just over a month ago, SpaceX performed its fifth flight test of the Starship. It was the second flight that did not end in a ‘rapid unscheduled disassembly’, i.e. blowing up.
On the fifth test flight the Starship performed some new tricks including a soft splashdown in the Indian Ocean. As well, the Super Heavy booster not only made its way back to the launchpad but it was successfully caught by the ‘chopsticks’ attached to the tower. Here’s a recap of Starship’s test flight 5.
A view of Starship flight test 6 ready to go on launchpad
Elon Musk has established the SpaceX Starbase at Boca Chica, Texas, located on the Gulf Coast near the border with Mexico. It is the testing site for the company’s rockets as well as the manufacturing center.
SpaceX Starship rocket flight test 6 timeline and plan
The Starship test flight 6 will follow the same trajectory as the previous test flight. The Super Heavy booster will return to the launchpad where the chopsticks are supposed to catch it once again. The ship, which would carry astronauts and supplies once it is put into service, will fly a suborbital trajectory with a splashdown targeted in the Indian Ocean.
SpaceX will be testing additional capabilities as well as modifications of both the booster and the ship.
SpaceX/NASA / AP
How much money does Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starship program cost?
SpaceX revolutionized sending rockets into space with its reusable booster modules. Its Falcon 9 platform is now the cheapest per kilo of payload.
However, if the company started by Elon Musk is successful at getting its Starship rocket system functional and operational it would drastically slash the cost of travelling into orbit and beyond.
A little over a month after the last test flight, SpaceX has targeted Tuesday, November 19 for the sixth flight test of its massive Starship.
Hello and welcome to SpaceX’s sixth Starship flight test live
Elon Musk’s SpaceX, after its successful fifth flight test of the massive Starship rocket, “aims to expand the envelope on ship and booster capabilities and get closer to bringing reuse of the entire system online” with today’s launch.
Join us as for live coverage of the event taking place at the company’s Starbase facilities in Boca Chica, Texas where it also builds the Starship rockets. The launch window opens at 4:00 p.m. CT / 5:00 p.m. ET / 2:00 p.m. PT, today November 29, 2024.