spacetoday.net: SpaceX sets Nov. 18 launch date for sixth Starship test flight

Posted: Sat, Nov 9, 2024, 9:57 AM ET (1457 GMT)
Starship IFT5 landing (SpaceX)

SpaceX plans to perform the next Starship test flight as soon as mid-November. The company announced Wednesday that the sixth integrated test flight of Starship/Super Heavy is scheduled for the afternoon of Nov. 18 from the Starbase launch site at Boca Chica, Texas. The upcoming flight will feature incremental changes from the previous flight in October, including doing an in-flight relight of a Raptor engine on Starship and testing changes to the vehicle's thermal protection system. The afternoon launch, rather than a morning liftoff of previous flights, will enable a splashdown in the Indian Ocean during daylight hours. SpaceX also plans to catch the Super Heavy booster back at the launch tower on this flight.