SpaceX is hoping to launch its first Starship take a look at of 2024 as early as Thursday (March 14) in what it hopes can be a historic orbital flight of the world’s largest rocket, and if you might want to know when to look at it on-line, you are in the proper place. Whereas SpaceX has but to obtain closing approval and a launch license for its subsequent Starship launch from the Federal Aviation Administration, the corporate has mentioned it’s focusing on no sooner than March 14 for the launch from its Starbase facility close to Boca Chica Seashore in South Texas. The corporate has arrange a livestream on X (previously Twitter) that begins Thursday at 7:30 a.m. EST (1130 GMT). Since SpaceX has mentioned the webcast would begin half-hour earlier than launch, that may peg the launch for 8 a.m. EST (1200 GMT) on March 14. Associated: See our SpaceX Starship and Tremendous Heavy information for an in depth lookSpaceX’s Starship automobile and its Tremendous Heavy booster are the world’s tallest and strongest rocket. When stacked collectively, they stand 400 toes tall (122 meters), with the primary stage powered by 33 Raptor engines, whereas the Starship higher stage carries six Raptors. SpaceX has designed the Starship launch system to be absolutely reusable and hopes to make use of it for deep-space exploration, heavy-lift launches and house tourism. The corporate has already bought two personal journeys across the moon on Starship, with NASA selecting Starship to land its Artemis 3 astronauts on the moon by 2026. However first, SpaceX has to show its Starship can attain orbit, not to mention the moon, and has failed to take action in two earlier makes an attempt in April and November of 2023. This is what we find out about Flight 3, SpaceX’s third Starship take a look at launch. What time is SpaceX’s third Starship launch?SpaceX’s third Starship automobile stands stacked on the firm’s Starbase web site in South Texas. SpaceX posted this picture on X on March 12, 2024. (Picture credit score: SpaceX through X)Presently, SpaceX seems to be focusing on March 14 at 8 a.m. EST (7 a.m. CST/1200 GMT) for its third Starship take a look at flight. The corporate has not issued an official launch time, but it surely has launched the goal launch day in addition to a livestream feed that may start at 7:30 a.m. EST (1130 GMT ) on March 14. A SpaceX Starship Flight 3 mission description said that the livestream will start half-hour earlier than liftoff, therefore a probable 8 a.m. EST launch goal. SpaceX has not introduced a window for the Flight 3 launch. Previous home windows for Flight 1 and Flight 2 have ranged from two hours to twenty minutes. Associated: Learn how to watch SpaceX’s third Starship launch take a look at onlineSpaceX’s first Starship take a look at flight launched on April 20, 2023 however by no means reached house. It was deliberately destroyed after its phases did not separate. A second take a look at flight on Nov. 18 did handle to achieve house, however not its goal altitude. The Tremendous Heavy booster separated efficiently from the Starship higher stage, however each automobiles ultimately had been destroyed shortly after stage separation. “Every of those flight assessments proceed to be simply that: a take a look at,” SpaceX wrote within the description. “They are not occurring in a lab or on a take a look at stand, however are placing flight {hardware} in a flight atmosphere to maximise studying.”Can I watch the third SpaceX Starship launch?Sure, you’ll be able to watch SpaceX’s third Starship launch on-line, and you may doubtless have just a few choices by which to take action.SpaceX has mentioned it can present a livestream of the Starship launch on its @SpaceX account on X (previously Twitter), beginning about half-hour earlier than liftoff. Since SpaceX’s preliminary X livestream web page states it can begin at 7:30 a.m. EST (1130 GMT), that means to us that the corporate is aiming for an 8 a.m. EST (1200 GMT) launch goal. However, and this is essential, SpaceX’s plans may change. “As is the case with all developmental testing, the schedule is dynamic and more likely to change, so remember to keep tuned to our X account for updates,” the corporate wrote in a mission overview. SpaceX’s livestream of the Starship Flight 3 launch may even be carried by Area.com on YouTube and can be embedded on the prime of this web page.You can even discover a number of impartial livestreams of SpaceX’s Starship launch that ought to embrace stay commentary and views.One web site we wish to observe is NASASpaceflight.com, which presents common every day livestreams of Starship testing actions on the Starbase facility. The location may have intensive YouTube livestream protection, doubtless starting within the hours earlier than SpaceX’s personal webcast. Another choice is On a regular basis Astronaut, which gives stay Starship launch protection and commentary as nicely. Should you occur to be within the Boca Chica, Texas space and are hoping to view the launch in individual, you’ve gotten a number of choices. There isn’t any official SpaceX viewing web site, however you’ll be able to decide from a number of public seaside areas from which you’ll be able to see the launch. The close by South Padre Island presents clear views of the rocket from the shoreline round Cameron County Amphitheater and Isla Blanca Park. Related viewing areas may be discovered across the close by shore of Port Isabel and the encompassing areas. I really watched Starship Flight 1 launch in April 2023 from the South Padre Island shore close to Cameron County Amphitheater, and it does provide unobstructed views, with crowds lining the seaside and on boats within the harbor. Nevertheless, it would be best to deliver a folding seaside chair, water and sunscreen. (There are bogs on web site.) Wherever you decide to look at the launch from, plan to reach very early as visitors may cause prolonged delays reaching observing websites.How lengthy is SpaceX’s third Starship flight?This SpaceX diagram reveals the flight profile for the corporate’s Starship Flight 3 launch take a look at on March 14, 2024. (Picture credit score: SpaceX)The primary two Starship take a look at flights had been designed to final 90 minutes, with the Starship automobile reaching orbital speeds (if not really getting into orbit) after which returning to Earth with a reentry and splashdown off the coast of Hawaii.  For Flight 3, SpaceX is anticipating a barely longer flight, with the Starship automobile aiming for a splashdown within the Indian Ocean. Different particulars are onerous to return by in the mean time, nevertheless; SpaceX’s revealed timeline for the mission, for instance, ends about 8.5 minutes after liftoff.”The third flight take a look at goals to construct on what we’ve realized from earlier flights whereas trying numerous formidable goals, together with the profitable ascent burn of each phases, opening and shutting Starship’s payload door, a propellant switch demonstration through the higher stage’s coast section, the primary ever rekindle of a Raptor engine whereas in house, and a managed reentry of Starship,” SpaceX wrote in its mission description. “It should additionally fly a brand new trajectory, with Starship focused to splash down within the Indian Ocean. This new flight path permits us to aim new strategies like in-space engine burns whereas maximizing public security.”Associated: SpaceX to push the envelope on third Starship launchSpaceX’s first Starship flight aimed to achieve an altitude of 146 miles (234 kilometers) whereas traversing a flight path that aimed to splash down within the Pacific Ocean about 140 miles (225 km) from the coast of Oahu, Hawaii. The second flight path was largely the identical. Whereas Starship goals to fly farther on Flight 3, the Tremendous Heavy booster remains to be anticipated to make a mushy touchdown and splashdown within the Gulf of Mexico, miles offshore from Boca Chica Seashore. Swipe to scroll horizontallySpaceX Starship Countdown TimelineTIME (Hr:Min:Sec)EVENTHeader Cell – Column 2 T-1:15:00Flight director ballot for gasoline loadingRow 0 – Cell 2 T-0:53:00Starship liquid oxygen loading beginsRow 1 – Cell 2 T-0:51:00Starship liquid methane loading beginsRow 2 – Cell 2 T-0:42:00Super Heavy liquid oxygen loading beginsRow 3 – Cell 2 T-0:41:00Super Heavy liquid methane loading beginsRow 4 – Cell 2 T-00:19:40Super Heavy Raptor engine chilldownRow 5 – Cell 2 T-00:3:30Super Heavy fueling completeRow 6 – Cell 2 T-00:2:50Starship fueling completeRow 7 – Cell 2 T-00:0:30Flight Director GO for launchRow 8 – Cell 2 T-00:00:10Flame detector activationRow 9 – Cell 2 T-00:00:03Raptor ignition sequence startupRow 10 – Cell 2 T-00:00:00Liftoff (“Pleasure Assured,” as SpaceX places it.)Row 11 – Cell 2 Swipe to scroll horizontallySpaceX Starship Check Flight 3 TimelineTIME (Hr:Min:Sec)FLIGHT EVENTHeader Cell – Column 2 T+00:02Liftoff Row 0 – Cell 2 T+00:52Starship/Tremendous Heavy attain Max QRow 1 – Cell 2 T+2:42Super Heavy important engine cutoffRow 2 – Cell 2 T+2:44Hot-staging separation/Starship Raptor engine ignitionRow 3 – Cell 2 T+2:55Super Heavy boostback burn startupRow 4 – Cell 2 T+3:50Super Heavy boostback burn engine shutdownRow 5 – Cell 2 T+6:36Super Heavy is transonicRow 6 – Cell 2 T+6:46Super Heavy touchdown burnRow 7 – Cell 2 T+7:04Super Heavy touchdown burn shutdownRow 8 – Cell 2 T+8:35Starship engine cutoffRow 9 – Cell 2 What if Starship cannot launch?SpaceX’s third built-in Starship rocket stands atop its Tremendous Heavy booster on the firm’s Starbase take a look at web site close to Boca Chica Seashore in South Texas. (Picture credit score: SpaceX)If SpaceX receives its launch license for Starship Flight 3 however is unable to launch on March 14, the corporate will doubtless be sure that it has no less than one or two backup days useful. Officers with Cameron County, the Texas county that’s dwelling to SpaceX’s Starbase facility, have launched a seaside closure advisory that means highway closures round Starbase by March 16, hinting at attainable backup dates. SpaceX has not set a selected vary for launch dates, nevertheless.Any second launch try would doubtless depend upon how far into the fueling course of SpaceX will get for Flight 3’s first strive. SpaceX has mentioned it may well take as much as a number of days to resupply its propellant depot for a Starship launch, for the reason that huge rocket and booster devour greater than 10 million kilos of super-chilled liquid methane and liquid oxygen propellant. If Area delays Flight 3 on account of a technical glitch or malfunction, the timing of a brand new try would doubtless hinge on how lengthy it takes to deal with the difficulty. Â