SpaceX is set to host the first Starship test of 2024 this month. The company is currently targeting Thursday, March 14, for the third Starship launch test. If all goes according to plan, this could be the most successful launch test we’ve seen from the world’s biggest rocket. Luckily, you won’t need to travel to Starbase to see it for yourself, as there will be multiple livestream options.
Because of how big Starship is, this newest launch attempt is going to have a lot of eyes on it. Now, SpaceX has big plans to send a starship to Mars, but it’s also a major component in NASA’s Artemis missions, which will return humanity to the moon’s surface for the first time since Apollo. The Elon Musk-run company currently appears to be aiming for a launch of 8:00 a.m. EST on March 14, though it hasn’t shared an exact time just yet.
To watch the third Starship launch test for yourself, you’re going to need to tune into SpaceX’s livestream on X (formerly Twitter). Others, like Space.com will also feature the launch on their YouTube channels. The stream itself will begin around 7:30 a.m. EST, roughly 30 minutes before launch.
This third launch attempt, of course, is an important milestone for SpaceX. The past two Starship launch tests haven’t turned out great, with Starship exploding both times. While Musk might consider both of those huge successes because of how far they got, Starship really needs a big win this time around if it’s going to continue to invoke confidence for inclusion in future Artemis missions.
The Starship rocket system is designed to be fully reusable. SpaceX plans to use the rocket system as a deep space exploration option and eventually hopes to send humanity to Mars aboard it. Musk has even discussed possible ways to create artificial gravity on Starship to help humans on their long journey to the Red Planet.
This latest Starship launch test is simply another stepping stone to those goals. Whether or not the launch goes as Musk hopes remains to be seen.