Elon Musk’s SpaceX is aiming for a third attempt at a successful launch of its Starship rocket Thursday after two previous attempts crashed and burned.
The spacecraft company first unveiled plans for the Starship — a reusable rocket designed to carry out missions to the Moon and Mars — in 2017 before making its first attempt in April 2023. In that attempt, the Starship failed, as did SpaceX’s self-destruction system. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigated the incident and gave approval for a second flight in November, which showed a better performance before it exploded — twice — just minutes into the air.
The second incident led to 17 corrective actions that SpaceX needed to complete to earn its third launch license. On Wednesday (Mar. 13), the FAA gave SpaceX approval for its third attempt, which was initially planned for later that day.
The company has changed its target time for launch several times since it won approval. The 400-foot-tall megarocket is now scheduled to take off from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, on Thursday morning. The aerospace giant had pushed back its launch target to 9:10 a.m. ET from 8:30 a.m. ET to give boats enough time to exit the “keep out area” in the Gulf of Mexico.
Then, just before 8:30 a.m. ET, SpaceX said it is ready for “prop load” but keeping an eye on winds and targeting 9:35 a.m. ET for liftoff.
SpaceX has a 110-minute launch window available and will be livestreamed on X — the social media platform owned by Musk — and its website.
This is a developing story and will be updated.