SpaceX hopes to launch the first Starship test of 2024 as early as Thursday (March 14), in what it hopes will be a historic orbital flight of the world's largest rocket, and if you need to know when to watch it online, you're in the right place.
SpaceX aims to March 14 To launch from its Starbase facility near Boca Chica Beach in South Texas. The Announced in X Starship has a 110-minute window on Thursday Liftoff was targeted for 9:25 a.m. EDT (1325 GMT).In about 30 minutes.
The company will webcast the launch event, 8:52 a.m. EDT (1252 GMT). You can watch the live stream here on Space.com, courtesy of SpaceX. SpaceX said there is a 70% chance of good weather at launch time.
Related: Check out our SpaceX Starship and Superheavy guide for a detailed look
SpaceX's Starship vehicle and its Super Heavy Booster are the world's tallest and most powerful rockets. Stacked together, they stand 400 feet (122 meters) tall, the first stage is powered by 33 Raptor engines, while the starship upper stage has six Raptors.
SpaceX has designed the Starship launch system to be fully reusable and hopes to use it for deep space exploration, heavy-lift launches and space tourism. The company has already sold two private missions around the moon on Starship, and NASA has selected Starship to land Artemis 3 astronauts on the moon by 2026. But first, SpaceX must prove its Starship can reach orbit, let alone the Moon, and it failed to do so in two previous attempts in April and November of 2023. Here's what we know about Flight 3, SpaceX's third Starship test launch.
What time is SpaceX's 3rd Starship launch?
Today, SpaceX is the target March 14 at 9:25 a.m. EDT (8:25 a.m. CDT/1325 GMT) For its third Starship test flight. That means the 110-minute release window opens in 30 minutes at 8 a.m. EDT. The company will broadcast a live telecast of the liftoff March 14 at 8:52 a.m. EDT (1252 GMT).
SpaceX's first Starship test flight was launched on April 20, 2023, but did not reach space. It was deliberately destroyed after its two stages failed to separate. A second test flight managed to reach space on November 18, but did not reach its target altitude. The Super Heavy Booster starship successfully separated from the upper stage, but both vehicles were destroyed shortly after separation.
“Each of these flight tests continues to be just that: an experiment,” SpaceX wrote in a Flight 3 Mission Description. “They don't occur in the lab or on a test stand, but put aircraft hardware in an aircraft environment to enhance learning.”
Related: How to Watch SpaceX's 3rd Starship Launch Test Online
Can I see the 3rd SpaceX Starship launch?
Yes, you can watch SpaceX's third Starship launch online, and you'll have a few options to do so.
SpaceX will provide live coverage of the Starship launch on X (formerly Twitter) via its @SpaceX account. 30 minutes before departure – that is at 8:52 a.m. EDT (1252 GMT).
But, it is very important, SpaceX's plans may change.
“As with all development experiments, the schedule is dynamic and subject to change, so stay tuned to our X account for updates,” the company wrote. From a mission perspective.
A livestream of SpaceX's Starship Flight 3 launch will be carried on YouTube by Space.com and will be embedded at the top of this page.
You can also find several independent live broadcasts of SpaceX's Starship launch that include live commentary and footage.
A platform we want to follow NASASpaceflight.com, which provides regular daily live broadcasts of Starship test operations at the Starbase facility. will be on site Comprehensive YouTube livestream coverage, SpaceX's own webcast will begin in a few hours. Another option is Everyday Astronaut, which provides live starship launch coverage and commentary.
If you're in the Boca Chica, Texas area and want to see the launch in person, you have several options.
There is no official SpaceX viewing site, but you can choose from several public beach areas from which you can view the launch. Nearby South Padre Island offers clear views of the rocket from beaches surrounding the Cameron County Amphitheater and Isla Blanca Park. Similar scenes can be found around Port Isabel's nearby beaches and surrounding areas.
I actually watched Starship Flight 1 launch from the shores of South Padre Island near the Cameron County Amphitheater in April 2023, and it offers an unobstructed view. However, you should bring a folding beach chair, water and sunscreen. (There are bathrooms on site.)
Wherever you want to watch the launch, plan to arrive early as traffic can cause long delays in reaching the observation decks.
How long will SpaceX's 3rd Starship flight be?
The first two Starship test flights were designed to last 90 minutes, with the Starship vehicle reaching orbital speed (if not actually entering orbit) and then re-entering the coast of Hawaii and returning to Earth.
Things can happen very quickly on Flight 3. SpaceX's mission description states that 65 minutes after liftoff, if all goes according to plan, the starship's upper stage will splash down.
There will be other differences as well.
“The third flight test aims to build on what was learned from previous flights while attempting a number of ambitious objectives, including a successful ascent burn of two stages, opening and closing of the starship's payload door, and a propellant transfer demonstration during the beaching of the upper stage. The stage was the first re-light of the Raptor engine while in space. and controlled reentry of the starship,” SpaceX wrote in its mission statement. “Flying a new trajectory, the Starship aims to splash down in the Indian Ocean. This new flight path enables us to test new techniques, such as engine combustion in space, while increasing public safety.”
Related: SpaceX will push the envelope with the 3rd Starship launch
SpaceX's first Starship flight was intended to reach an altitude of 146 miles (234 kilometers) while traveling on a flight path aimed at splashing down in the Pacific Ocean. 140 miles (225 km) off the coast of Oahu, Hawaii. The second flight path was largely the same.
Although Starship is aiming for a different splashdown zone on Flight 3, the superheavy booster is expected to make a soft landing and splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico, miles off the coast of Boca Chica.
| TIME (hr:min:s) | event | Header Cell – Column 2 |
|---|---|---|
| T-1:15:00 | Flight director survey for fueling | Row 0 – Cell 2 |
| T-0:53:00 | Starship liquid oxygen loading begins | Row 1 – Cell 2 |
| T-0:51:00 | Starship begins loading liquid methane | Row 2 – Cell 2 |
| T-0:42:00 | Super heavy liquid oxygen loading begins | Row 3 – cell 2 |
| T-0:41:00 | Loading of Super Heavy Liquid Methane begins | Row 4 – cell 2 |
| T-00:19:40 | Super Heavy Raptor Engine Chilldown | Row 5 – cell 2 |
| T-00:3:30 | Super heavy refueling is complete | Row 6 – cell 2 |
| T-00:2:50 | Starship refueling completed | Row 7 – cell 2 |
| T-00:0:30 | Flight Director G.O | Row 8 – cell 2 |
| T-00:00:10 | Flame detector activation | Row 9 – cell 2 |
| T-00:00:03 | Raptor ignition sequence start | Row 10 – cell 2 |
| T-00:00:00 | Liftoff (“Excitement guaranteed,” as SpaceX says.) | Row 11 – cell 2 |
| TIME (hr:min:s) | Flight event | Header Cell – Column 2 |
|---|---|---|
| T+00:02 | Liftoff | Row 0 – Cell 2 |
| T+00:52 | Starship/Super Heavy Reach Max Q | Row 1 – Cell 2 |
| T+2:42 | Super heavy main engine cutoff | Row 2 – Cell 2 |
| T+2:44 | Hot-staging separation/starship raptor engine ignition | Row 3 – cell 2 |
| T+2:55 | Super heavy boostback burn startup | Row 4 – cell 2 |
| T+3:50 | Super heavy boostback burn engine shutdown | Row 5 – cell 2 |
| T+6:36 | Super Heavy Transonic | Row 6 – cell 2 |
| T+6:46 | Super heavy landing burn | Row 7 – cell 2 |
| T+7:04 | Super heavy landing burn shutdown | Row 8 – cell 2 |
| T+8:35 | Starship engine cut | Row 9 – cell 2 |
What if the starship can't start?
If SpaceX can't launch on March 14, the company will make sure it has at least one or two backup days.
Officials in Cameron County, Texas, home to SpaceX's Starbase facility, A beach closure advisory has been issued This means road closures around the starbase until March 16, indicating possible backup dates. However, SpaceX has not set a specific range for launch dates.
Any second launch attempt may depend on how far SpaceX gets the fueling process for Flight 3's first attempt. SpaceX has said it could take several days to resupply its propellant depot for a Starship launch because the massive rocket and booster use more than 10 million pounds of super-cold liquid methane and liquid oxygen propellant.
If a technical glitch or malfunction delays Spaceflight 3, the timing of a new attempt will depend on how long it takes to resolve the issue.
Editor's note: This story was updated March 14 at 8:30 a.m. with a new 9:25 EDT launch time for SpaceX's Starship Flight 3.
