SpaceX's Starship Flight 10 launches today: How to watch
What's the story
SpaceX is gearing up for the launch of its 10th Starship mission on Sunday. The test flight, dubbed Starship Flight 10, is scheduled to take off at 7:30pm EDT (5:00am IST, Monday) from SpaceX's Starbase facility in South Texas. The company has a one-hour window to conduct this mission, meaning the launch could happen anytime between 7:30pm and 8:30pm EDT.
Contingency plans
Backup days available for launch
If SpaceX can't launch Starship on Sunday due to weather or technical issues, the company has at least two backup days available — August 25 and August 26. This comes after three failed test flights earlier this year and the explosion of a Starship vehicle on the ground in June. Despite these setbacks, SpaceX is hopeful that Flight 10 will be a success.
Viewing options
How to watch the mission online
You can catch the launch of SpaceX's Starship Flight 10 test mission online. SpaceX will host its own livestream on its X account, starting at 7:00pm EDT. The stream will also be available on SpaceX's Flight 10 mission page and the X TV app. For a longer livestream with commentary during prelaunch preparations, consider NASASpaceflight's YouTube livestream starting at 4:30pm EDT.
Mission details
Mission timeline and booster landing
The Starship Flight 10 mission is expected to last just over an hour from liftoff to splashdown. However, this time, SpaceX won't be attempting a "Chopsticks" catch of the giant Starship Super Heavy booster. Instead, the company plans an extreme reentry profile for the booster to make an ocean "landing" and splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico about six minutes and 40 seconds into the flight.
Mission goals
What will Starship Flight 10 carry?
The upper stage of the Starship will carry eight Starlink satellite simulators and attempt to deploy them in orbit using its "Pez dispenser" deployment system. The vehicle will also test various heat shield tile and stress tests during reentry into Earth's atmosphere. About 47 minutes into the flight, Starship Flight 10 should begin reentry for a planned "landing" and splashdown in the Indian Ocean.