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SpaceX Plans 6th Starship Flight Test, Repeat Midair Rocket Catch

"The ultimate goal is to increase the reliability and reusability of multiple components within the Starship system."

Elon Musk’s SpaceX is set to conduct a sixth flight test of Starship on Tuesday, culminating in another attempt to catch the Super Heavy booster in midair as it returns to earth.

According to a release posted on the SpaceX website, a 30 minute launch window opens at 4 p.m. CST. Live broadcasts will be available on the website, on the X TV app, and on X via @SpaceX. The schedule is fluid and could change at any time.

Noting the success of the fifth flight test — which saw the Super Heavy booster caught successfully by the “chopsticks” — the release stated that the sixth flight test aimed to expand on SpaceX’s achievements.

“The next Starship flight test aims to expand the envelope on ship and booster capabilities and get closer to bringing reuse of the entire system online. Objectives include the booster once again returning to the launch site for catch, reigniting a ship Raptor engine while in space, and testing a suite of heatshield experiments and maneuvering changes for ship reentry and descent over the Indian Ocean,” the release read.

“The success of the first catch attempt demonstrated the design feasibility while providing valuable data to continue improving hardware and software performance,” it continued. “Hardware upgrades for this flight add additional redundancy to booster propulsion systems, increase structural strength at key areas, and shorten the timeline to offload propellants from the booster following a successful catch. Mission designers also updated software controls and commit criteria for the booster’s launch and return.”

SpaceX has additional flight tests planned, and predictions for a seventh include a Starship that “will fly with significant upgrades including redesigned forward flaps, larger propellant tanks, and the latest generation tiles and secondary thermal protection layers as we continue to iterate towards a fully reusable heat shield.”

The ultimate goal is to increase the reliability and reusability of multiple components within the Starship system, SpaceX said.

“Learnings from this and subsequent flight tests will continue to make the entire Starship system more reliable as we close in on full and rapid reusability.”

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