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What time will SpaceX launch Starship Flight 15, its 1st double landing test, on Nov. 13? (Full mission timeline)
SpaceX will make history with the world's first full recovery of an orbital rocket on Starship Flight 15. Here's when to watch.
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SpaceX is just days away from what might be its most ambitious test flight yet of the company's massive Starship megarocket, the largest launch vehicle ever built.
On Friday (Nov. 13), SpaceX will launch its next Starship test flight on a mission that, if successful, will return both its Super Heavy first-stage booster and Ship upper stage to Earth for back-to-back landings at their launch pad. It will be the first full recovery of an orbital rocket in history. And if you want to watch it live, you'll need to know what time and where to tune in.
In our guide below, we'll explain exactly when and how to watch SpaceX's Starship Flight 15 mission. It is the 15th test flight of the giant stainless-steel reusable rocket, which SpaceX wants to use for everything from Starlink internet satellite launches to landing NASA Artemis astronauts on the moon in 2028, and even for a crewed flight to Mars. But first, SpaceX has to successfully recover and refly both stages, something it's never done before — and that's where Flight 15 comes in. It's the first time the company will try to land an entire Starship rocket. Here's when to tune in.
The Starship Flight 15 test mission is currently scheduled to launch no earlier than Friday, Nov. 13, at 5:45 p.m. EST (2245 GMT), from SpaceX's Starbase site in South Texas. But there is a chance of a later liftoff time.
SpaceX has said it has a 75-minute window in which to launch Starship Flight 15 to add some flexibility into its preflight countdown. That means the launch could take place anytime between 5:45 p.m. and 7 p.m. EST (2245-0000 Nov. 14). The local time for the launch window will be 4:45 p.m. to 6 p.m. CST.
SpaceX has not formally announced if it has backup days for the launch, but if the company does have those options, liftoff would likely occur at the same time, based on past Starship missions that saw delays.
One thing that separates Starship Flight 15 from past Starship test flights is its length. The mission, if it runs its full duration, will last just over 22.5 hours until Ship lands back at Starbase. That landing would occur on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 4:17 p.m. EST (2117 GMT). If SpaceX launches at the end of its window on Friday, at 7 p.m. EST, the Ship landing would occur on Saturday at 5:32 p.m. EST (2232 GMT).
Meanwhile, the Super Heavy, known as Booster 22, will land about 6.5 minutes after liftoff.