SpaceX successfully conducted its sixth test flight of the Starship vehicle on November 19, launching from its Boca Chica, Texas site at 5 p.m. Eastern. The flight began smoothly during a 30-minute launch window, attended by notable guests including President-elect Donald Trump, who shares a close relationship with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.
The flight involved the Super Heavy booster, known as Booster 13, which separated from the Starship upper stage approximately two minutes and 45 seconds after liftoff. Although the booster attempted to return to the launch site, a decision was made to divert it offshore, leading to a powered “landing” in the Gulf of Mexico, where it tipped over and exploded shortly after. While this incident represented a setback, SpaceX had previously achieved a successful recovery with another booster just a month earlier.
Despite the booster’s fate, the upper stage, designated Ship 31, reached a suborbital trajectory and successfully conducted a brief ignition of one of its Raptor engines, a crucial capability for maneuvers in future missions. The Starship then reentered the Earth’s atmosphere over the Indian Ocean, testing new flight profiles and thermal protection systems. SpaceX had anticipated potential challenges, stating they were purposefully assessing the vehicle’s limits to optimize future operations.
The Starship vehicle completed its mission with a powered soft landing in the ocean, although some damage was noted on its thermal protection system. Notably, the planned splashdown occurred in daylight, enhancing video documentation of the event.
Looking forward, SpaceX has announced plans for upgrades to the Starship upper stage, which include larger propellant tanks that will increase payload capacity from 1,200 to 1,500 tons, and adjustments to the vehicle’s forward flaps to better endure reentry heat. The company did not provide a specific timeline for the next launch but noted the successful execution of this flight was facilitated by the FAA’s prior approval of their launch license, which had encompassed this mission as part of its analysis.
Overall, while the day presented challenges, it also showcased SpaceX’s ongoing advancements and resilience in the face of setbacks. The data collected during this flight will be invaluable as they continue to develop the Starship program, with hopes for more successful launches and landings in the future.