On the heels of a historic test, SpaceX is firing up the rockets.
SpaceX is back on the fast track as its next Texas launch is expected to take place in less than two weeks. If all goes according to plan, the company's mega rocket Starship will take flight in mid-November.
SpaceX announced the next launch on Wednesday, November 6. The upcoming launch comes weeks after Starship's fifth launch successfully caught its first stage booster on the launchpad with its "chopstick" arms on October 13.
A 30-minute launch window is expected to open at 4 p.m. on November 18. Starship's upper stage will fly the same suborbital trajectory as the previous flight test, with splashdown targeted in the Indian Ocean, according to SpaceX.
SpaceX says the success of the first catch "demonstrated the design feasibility while providing valuable data to continue improving hardware and software performance." Flight six will feature another booster catch on the South Texas launch site at Boca Chica Beach with new upgrades.
"The next Starship flight test aims to expand the envelope on ship and booster capabilities and get closer to bringing reuse of the entire system online," SpaceX wrote in its update.
Other objectives include reigniting a ship Raptor engine while in space, testing a suite of heatshield experiments, and maneuvering changes for ship reentry and descent over the Indian Ocean.
Each launch brings evolution to SpaceX technology, officials says the Flight 6 Starship will feature some improvements over its predecessors. Hardware upgrades for this flight add additional redundancy to booster propulsion systems, increase structural strength at key areas, and shorten the timeline to offload propellants from the booster following a successful catch.
Additionally, mission designers updated software controls and commit criteria for the booster's launch and return.
The detailed improvements and objectives are paving the path for SpaceX to one day land both Super Heavy and Ship directly on the launch mount to speed up the inspection, refurbishment, and flight process. All of the efforts are supporting CEO Elon Musk's mission to make life multi-planetary.
For those unable to make the trip out to the Starbase launch site, SpaceX will stream the launch live, beginning about 30 minutes before liftoff.