SpaceX is planning its sixth Starship flight test for Tuesday afternoon, November 19. The launch is set to occur during a 30-minute window starting at 5 p.m. EST (2200 GMT) from the company’s Starbase facility near Boca Chica Beach, Texas. The flight will feature the Starship megarocket, which consists of two reusable components: the Super Heavy first-stage booster and the Starship upper-stage spacecraft. Live coverage will be available on Space.com via SpaceX’s livestream, starting 30 minutes before liftoff.

“The next Starship flight test aims to further enhance booster and spacecraft capabilities and move closer to achieving full system reuse,” SpaceX officials stated in their announcement.

This test follows the success of Flight 5 on October 13, during which the Super Heavy booster was successfully caught using massive “chopstick” arms upon its return, and the Starship spacecraft completed a controlled landing in the Indian Ocean. SpaceX noted that this achievement confirmed the feasibility of the catch design while providing critical data for refining the system.

For Flight 6, the booster is again expected to attempt a catch landing at Starbase approximately seven minutes after liftoff. If issues arise, it will instead perform a controlled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. Meanwhile, the Starship upper stage will separate and follow a similar suborbital trajectory to Flight 5 but with new objectives. These include testing an in-space burn of one of its six Raptor engines to evaluate its deorbit burn capabilities, conducting heatshield experiments, and performing reentry maneuvers, such as descending at a steeper angle, before splashing down in the Indian Ocean about 65 minutes after launch.

The late-afternoon launch window is strategically timed to allow daylight observations of reentry, SpaceX noted. Hardware upgrades completed ahead of the test include enhanced redundancy in the booster propulsion system, increased structural strength, and faster propellant offloading processes.

During its return, the Super Heavy booster will decelerate from supersonic speeds, creating a sonic boom that may be heard as a brief thunder-like noise in nearby areas.

“Insights from this and future tests will continue to improve the Starship system’s reliability as we progress toward full and rapid reusability,” SpaceX stated.