SpaceX is preparing for its sixth test flight of the Starship-Super Heavy system, with the launch scheduled from its Texas Starbase site. This mission, known as Starship Integrated Flight Test 6 (IFT-6), marks a continuation of SpaceX's efforts to develop the world’s first fully reusable space vehicle. Following the successes and lessons from previous missions—especially Flight 5—SpaceX aims to further validate the vehicle’s orbital and recovery systems while pushing Starship closer to becoming a reliable platform for crewed missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
Credit: SpaceX
SpaceX has wasted no time getting into operations for the next flight. Only nine days after Flight 5, Booster 13 has rolled out to the Launch Site and placed on the Orbital Launch Mount. This came only nine days after the last flight, a record turnaround for this pad. Booster 13 was then removed from the launch mount, raised to catch height as a quick test of the chopsticks and set to roll back to the production site for further evaluations.
SpaceX plans to attempt Starship Flight 6 no earlier than November 19, a week from today. The mission will perform a repeat trajectory from Flight 5, catching the booster, ditching the hot stage ring in the Gulf of Mexico, and performing a controlled reentry and splashdown in the Indian Ocean for the second stage.
This less than two-month turnaround for launch differs greatly from previous missions that required months-long reviews by the FAA. This change is because Starship Flight 5 didn’t trigger a mishap investigation and wasn’t tied to the FAA for another launch license approval as no major changes to the trajectory and launch parameters were made.
New Technical Objectives for Flight 6
IFT-6 introduces several new objectives aimed at refining Starship's performance in both ascent and reentry. According to SpaceX, the main goals for this flight will include a number of “firsts” designed to refine Starship’s capabilities and push the boundaries of what has been achieved in previous flights.
The first major change for IFT-6 is the timing of the launch window, which for the first time will open during the late afternoon. This shift allows for a unique opportunity to observe Starship’s re-entry over the Indian Ocean in daylight conditions. Daytime lighting is expected to significantly improve visual tracking and data collection on the vehicle's descent profile and reentry dynamics, providing clearer insights into how Starship’s thermal protection system performs under reentry conditions. Enhanced visibility will allow engineers to better observe and analyze areas of heat build-up and stress on the vehicle, critical factors in designing a reusable spacecraft that can withstand multiple reentries without extensive refurbishment.
Credit: SpaceX
Another ground-breaking objective for Flight 6 is an in-space burn using a single Raptor engine on Starship’s second stage, Ship 31. This will be the first time SpaceX has attempted an in-space ignition as part of Starship’s development process. This maneuver is crucial for validating Starship’s ability to conduct a deorbit burn, which would allow future versions of the spacecraft to re-enter Earth's atmosphere safely from orbital missions. Testing this capability lays the groundwork for Starship’s eventual roles in long-duration missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond, where reliable in-space burns will be essential for controlled reentry and landing operations.
The third key innovation in this flight involves testing new thermal protection materials and a modified heat shield design. Flight 6 will feature sections of Ship 31’s heat shield removed on either side of the vehicle, exposing the underlying structure to test secondary thermal protection materials and configurations. This approach is intended to study potential adaptations for hardware that would enable Starship to be "caught" by mechanical arms upon descent. Additionally, SpaceX aims to observe how these specific areas of the craft perform without the standard heat shield, gathering data on how much protection is needed in specific sections. Insights from this test could be critical to developing a streamlined heat shield design for future models, ultimately reducing Starship's weight and enhancing its reusability.
Another ambitious goal for IFT-6 is refining the Super Heavy booster’s return process. SpaceX’s Super Heavy booster, equipped with over 30 Raptor engines, will attempt a controlled descent back to Earth, followed by an effort to “catch” the booster mid-air using robotic arms on the launch tower. If conditions are not favorable, the booster is expected to splash down in the Gulf of Mexico. Successful testing of these descent and catch procedures would be pivotal in achieving full reusability.
Comparison to Flight 5’s Milestones
Flight 5, conducted earlier in 2024, set a strong precedent for SpaceX by successfully launching and catching the booster, marking a major milestone for SpaceX’s recovery ambitions. The mission validated the booster’s landing capability and demonstrated improved coordination between stages during separation. The Starship vehicle, however, faced a controlled splashdown instead of a landing, with data collected to guide future developments.
Flight 5 passed several milestones, including catching a booster and a ship hitting its landing target after reentry. With the catch of a booster, SpaceX can now refine this during each flight and eventually refly these boosters, which will help raise the launch cadence.
This cadence is needed for the Artemis program’s refueling missions and for getting to Mars. Booster 13 will likely have a refined landing burn and be caught if everything goes according to plan. It is unclear which booster will be the first to refly. Currently, SpaceX has some issues to solve, such as warping some of the outer ring engine bells due to heating and aerodynamic forces.
The learnings from Flight 5 have paved the way for the adjustments seen in IFT-6. Building on the previous mission’s heat shield performance and stage separation data, SpaceX has introduced new structural enhancements and flight techniques, including high-angle reentry and selective heat shield gaps. Together, these are intended to more accurately simulate conditions the vehicle may face when returning from full orbital missions, aligning with the objectives SpaceX has set for eventual Mars-bound voyages.
Future of the Starship Program
As SpaceX inches closer to its goal of a fully reusable, multi-purpose space vehicle, the Starship program is under intense scrutiny from both regulators and spaceflight enthusiasts. Starship’s design and testing have implications for NASA’s Artemis program, with Starship expected to serve as the lunar lander for Artemis III and future lunar missions. Additionally, SpaceX aims to use Starship for crewed Mars missions, setting ambitious timelines that would make Starship central to long-term interplanetary travel.
To achieve these goals, SpaceX continues to refine both the booster and the Starship itself. Future test flights are expected to tackle higher-altitude reentries, orbital refueling demonstrations, and crewed test missions. A successful IFT-6 would bring SpaceX one step closer to routine orbital operations, reinforcing its mission to make space more accessible and laying the groundwork for human missions to Mars in the coming decade.
With Starship IFT-6 scheduled for November 18 and livestreamed on SpaceX’s media channels, this flight will provide critical insights into the engineering challenges and potential breakthroughs as SpaceX works toward making humanity a multiplanetary species.
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