When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. SpaceX's Starship megarocket is the world's biggest and most powerful rocket, and the giant booster that will launch the moon lander for NASA's Artemis 3 mission that aims to land astronauts on the moon by 2026. The next Starship launch by SpaceX will be Starship Flight 6., which will test new upgrades to the Ship and Booster while flying a similar profile to that of Flight 5 on Oct. 13, which saw the successful first landing and capture of the Super Heavy booster. Read the latest news about SpaceX's Starship megarocket test flights, launches, photos and more. SpaceX aims for Starship Flight 5 launch on Oct. 13 SpaceX's Starship Flight 5 rocket and its Super Heavy booster are stacked together ahead of a planned launch from Boca Chica Beach, Texas on Oct. 13, 2024, pending FAA approval. (Image credit: SpaceX) SpaceX on Friday, Oct. 11, said its next Starship rocket could launch as early as Sunday, Oct. 13, pending final FAA regulatory approvals. Liftoff is targeted for no earlier than 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT) on Oct. 13, if the approvals come through in time. A livestream of the launch will be available on this page at launch time. The upcoming test flight, called Starship Flight 5, will liftoff off from SpaceX's Starbase testing site near Boca Chica Beach in South Texas - the same site for four previous Starship launch tests. This flight aims to build on SpaceX's Starship Flight 4 success on June 6, which marked the first Starship to reach space and a smooth "soft" splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico for the rocket's massive Super Heavy booster. For Flight 5, SpaceX hopes to recreate the success of the Starship vehicle's trajectory to target splashdown site in the Indian Ocean. But in a first, SpaceX will also attempt to return the rocket's massive Super Heavy booster, which is powered by 33 Raptor engines, back to its launch pad. There, SpaceX will attempt to catch the booster in the "chopsticks" of its massive Mechazilla launch pad structure. The system is designed to eventually allow quick turnarounds for Starship Super Heavy boosters for flights. "Starship stacked ahead of its fifth flight test," SpaceX wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday afternoon (Oct. 11). "We expect regulatory approval in time to fly on October 13." Starship stacked ahead of its fifth flight test. We expect regulatory approval in time to fly on October 13 pic.twitter.com/HCN4dcm1hZOctober 11, 2024 SpaceX and its CEO Elon Musk have said repeatedly that they have been ready to launch Starship Flight 5 since August, but have been held up by FAA reviews and proposed fines related to environmental concerns over the rocket's water deluge system. Last month, the FAA said it would likely take until November to issue a license for the Starship Flight 5 launch due to additional reviews related to the water deluge system, which FAA officials have required consultation with other regulatory agencies. Meanwhile, SpaceX is also facing potential fines from the FAA amounting to $633,000 related to Falcon 9 rocket launches. SpaceX has bristled at both the Flight 5 Starship delays and the potential fines, threatening to sue the FAA on the latter issue. $47.99