Watch SpaceX launch its fourth Starship flight test

SpaceX is preparing to send its massive Starship rocket on its fourth flight test on Thursday. The Starship Super Heavy vehicle is scheduled to lift off from SpaceX’s launch site in South Texas, during a 120-minute window that opens at 8:00AM ET.

You can watch the livestream via SpaceX’s account on X, which is scheduled to start at 7:30AM ET, or about 30 minutes before liftoff.

SpaceX says the primary objective for the fourth flight test is to demonstrate the ability to return and reuse Starship and its Super Heavy booster — requiring the spacecraft to survive the reentry phase through Earth’s atmosphere where it broke apart during its last flight test. This launch builds on what SpaceX learned during Starship’s flight in March, which saw the craft successfully launch into space and complete several objectives before contact with the vehicle was lost.

SpaceX says it has made several hardware and software updates to address previous issues. The third flight test was the most successful to date, with the first two Starship launches ending with fiery explosions shortly after liftoff.

If all goes to plan this time, we should see a controlled entry for Starship with splashdown in the Indian Ocean, with the Super Heavy booster expected to perform a landing burn and soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico