Elon Musk and SpaceX are back at it again with the Starship program's testing, and it will soon launch its 'Flight 6' that will follow its recent success earlier this month which saw overall smooth operations. In Flight 5, SpaceX was able to historically catch its Super Heavy Booster rocket for the first time, in its first attempt after previously planning and teasing the feat to the public.
It is yet unknown what SpaceX has planned for Starship's sixth flight test coming soon, and the company has not yet released word on when the launch will take place, but it is now eagerly anticipated worldwide, especially by NASA.
SpaceX's Starship Flight 6 is Coming Sooner Than You Think
A recent update from SpaceX revealed that Super Heavy has been delivered to Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas where all Starship flights are being launched from, as the company is now preparing for its upcoming Flight 6. The company revealed that the Super Heavy Booster rocket is now standing tall on its Starbase pad with the upcoming mission set to take place.
It was not yet revealed when SpaceX would launch its sixth test flight of the Starship rockets, but it was revealed by NASASpaceflight that the company has launch clearance from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) at the moment.
However, this launch license is only valid if SpaceX will follow the same "mission profile" as the recently successful Flight 5 which only commenced this October 13, but any changes to this will prompt an FAA evaluation before it gets clearance.
Read Also: Can SpaceX Assist the NASA Artemis III Mission? Next Step After Starship 5th Test Success
Super Heavy Now Pre-Launch Testing on Starbase
SpaceX revealed that Flight 6's Super Heavy will commence its pre-launch testing which is a routine preparation for the booster rocket before it is stacked with the Starship rocket and proceed with its test flight. It is still unknown if SpaceX will mirror Flight 5's mission, but doing so could have the Starship Flight 6 soaring the skies by next week, towards October's end.
Starship's Future Missions and Its Role on Artemis
SpaceX and Elon Musk are known for being ambitious with their space ventures, and this includes its most powerful rocket built for deep space explorations, the Starship, to fill in its future operations as the main workhorse of the company. Once the Starship proves itself as a capable rocket and receives the green light from authorities, SpaceX wants to launch the rocket as many as 120 missions per year, and it is already getting mixed opinions from rivals.
Three years ago, SpaceX was chosen by NASA to be part of the iconic Artemis III mission which would see the first human landing on the Moon after over 50 years, and it will also feature the first woman coming to the lunar surface. SpaceX's task is to bring humans from the Moon's orbit aboard Orion down to the natural satellite's surface, using a special version of the Starship called the HLS.
SpaceX's Starship Human Landing System (HLS) may be one of the most anticipated spacecraft now as it will play a key role in the historic Artemis III, but this mission still awaits the rocket's readiness come this time. Elon Musk's space company only has less than two years to be ready for Artemis and Starship is looking to test its capabilities as much as it can, with a possible back-to-back launch taking place this month.
