What time is SpaceX's Starship Flight 5 launch test on Oct. 13 (and how to watch online)?
- by Space.com
- Oct 12, 2024
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Related: Read our SpaceX Starship and Super Heavy guide for a detailed look
Initially, the Federal Aviation Administration told SpaceX that Flight 5 would not receive a launch license until sometime in November due to the time needed for reviews. That prompted complaints from SpaceX, which felt the delay was unnecessary since the company had been ready to to launch since August. The FAA ultimately issued a new launch license to SpaceX on Oct. 12, clearing the way for the launch.
"The FAA has issued a license modification authorizing SpaceX to launch multiple missions of the Starship/Super Heavy vehicle on the Flight 5 mission profile," FAA officials wrote in an Oct. 12 statement. "The FAA determined SpaceX met all safety, environmental and other licensing requirements for the suborbital test flight."
Can I watch the SpaceX's Starship Flight 5 launch?
Watch live! SpaceX to launch Starship, attempt to catch booster - YouTube
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Yes, you can watch SpaceX's Starship Flight 5 launch online, and there are several sites where you'll be able to find livestreams, including Space.com.
SpaceX's official launch livestream can be found on the company's X account (formerly Twitter), starting 35 minutes before liftoff — so, at about 7:25 a.m. EDT (1125 GMT).
Space.com's own VideoFromSpace YouTube channel will simulcast SpaceX's official webcast, and it will appear on this page and at the top of our homepage.
However, several SpaceX-watching sites with cameras at Starbase will host livestreams in the hours ahead of the launch. NASASpaceflight.com's YouTube channel, for example, regularly offers live views of SpaceX's Starship activities at
Starbase pads and other locations. Its hosts will offer live commentary during the fueling process as in the past.
Starship Stakeout - SpaceX Launches Starship for the Fifth Time - YouTube
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If you do live within driving distance of SpaceX's Starbase test site, you can try and watch the launch live in person. While SpaceX doesn't have an official viewing site, the Starship pad is visible from several public beaches.
On South Padre Island, you can find clear views of Starship's pad from the shore of Isla Blanca Park and Cameron County Amphitheater. I watched SpaceX's Starship Flight 1 from this location in April 2023. There is also a public restroom, which is
a plus, but traffic into the park can be heavy ahead of a launch so plan to arrive early. You'll also need to bring a folding chair, water, sunscreen and maybe some snacks as you see fit. The shoreline of nearby Port Isabel can also be a good viewing zone for launches.
How long is SpaceX's Starship Flight 5?
SpaceX's mission profile for the Starship Flight 5 test flight.
(Image credit: SpaceX)
If SpaceX replicates its Flight 4 profile for Starship Flight 5, the mission should last just over an hour.
Flight 5 will launch the Starship vehicle on a trajectory that will carry it into space and reenter over the Indian Ocean, west of Australia.
"Starship will fly a similar trajectory as the previous flight test with splashdown targeted in the Indian Ocean," SpaceX wrote in its mission overview. "This flight path does not require a deorbit burn for reentry, maximizing public safety while still providing the opportunity to meet our primary objective of a controlled reentry and soft water landing of Starship."
The fate of the Super Heavy booster, however, is not firm. While SpaceX hopes to try and catch it in midair during a return to its launch pad about 7 minutes after liftoff, the company may also soft-land it in the Gulf of Mexico as on Flight 4.
"Thousands of distinct vehicle and pad criteria must be met prior to a return and catch attempt of the Super Heavy booster, which will require healthy systems on the booster and tower and a manual command from the mission's Flight Director," SpaceX wrote. "If this command is not sent prior to the completion of the boostback burn, or if automated health checks show unacceptable conditions with Super Heavy or the tower, the booster will default to a trajectory that takes it to a landing burn and soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico."
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