How to watch SpaceX’s fifth Starship test flight on Sunday

SpaceX is gearing up for the launch of its powerful Starship on its fifth test flight, set for Sunday, October 13. Following a mostly successful fourth test flight where the Starship ventured into orbit and returned to Earth mostly intact, SpaceX is now aiming to catch its Super Heavy booster in addition to sending the upper stage Starship into orbit.

The exact date of the fifth test flight was delayed due to licensing issues from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), but SpaceX has now confirmed a target time of 8 a.m. ET (5 a.m. PT) on Sunday for the test.

To watch the test, viewers can tune into SpaceX’s live stream on X (formerly Twitter):

Watch Starship's fifth flight test https://t.co/LVrCnTv797

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 12, 2024

The broadcast will also be available on SpaceX’s website.

In a blog post, the company detailed its plans to catch the Super Heavy booster using two large mechanical arms known as chopsticks at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Texas. This would mark the first time a Super Heavy booster is caught, a significant advancement in making the Starship reusable. SpaceX has previously demonstrated the effectiveness of this concept with its Falcon 9 rocket, where boosters are often landed on the ocean or land for reuse.

Although the Starship is larger and more powerful than the Falcon 9, with different boosters, catching the booster presents a challenging task.

“Extensive upgrades have been made to hardware and software across Super Heavy, Starship, and the launch and catch tower infrastructure at Starbase ahead of this flight test,” SpaceX stated. “SpaceX engineers have dedicated significant time and effort to prepare for the booster catch attempt, ensuring the safety of the public and our team. The return will only be attempted under favorable conditions.”

To watch the live stream of Sunday’s test flight, coverage will begin around 7:30 a.m. ET (4:30 a.m. PT), or updates can be followed on SpaceX’s X account.