Barring any last-minute technical issues, it’s really only the weather that can cause problems for SpaceX’s Starship launch on Sunday, August 24. So, how’s it looking?
The weather forecasts for SpaceX’s Starbase launch site near Boca Chica, Texas, appear to be looking good for Sunday’s launch of the most powerful rocket ever built, which is targeted for 7:30 p.m. ET.
As of Saturday morning, The Weather Channel suggests it’ll be “partly cloudy” at Starbase at launch time, with only a 12% chance of rain and only light winds in the area.
AccuWeather also expects light winds and puts the chances of rain slightly higher, but not at a level that should trouble the SpaceX team organizing Sunday’s launch.
The team will also be closely monitoring factors such as upper-level winds, wind shear, cloud layers, and any storm activity in the area and further away along the rocket’s ascent path. The fact that up to now SpaceX has said nothing about any concerns bodes well for Sunday’s planned liftoff.
If there are any changes to the schedule, whether due to technical issues or inclement weather, SpaceX will announce them first on its X account. We’ll update here, too, just as soon as we can.
If you’re interested in watching a livestream of the SpaceX’s 10th launch of its Starship rocket, Digital Trends has all the details you need.
The 121-meter-tall rocket creates a massive 17 million pounds of thrust when it leaves the launchpad, more than any other rocket in history.
After the first-stage Super Heavy booster separates from the upper-stage Starship spacecraft, the booster will attempt a controlled a landing in the sea rather than return to the launch site (in spectacular fashion!) as it has done in several of its previous flights.
The spacecraft’s flight, meanwhile, will conduct several experiments focused on enabling the vehicle to return to the launch site on a future flight, such as testing alternative materials for the tiles protecting the vehicle during reentry. It will also deploy eight Starlink simulators.
“Flight tests continue to provide valuable learnings to inform the design of the next generation Starship and Super Heavy vehicles,” SpaceX said.
NASA will be watching Sunday’s test closely as it plans to use the rocket for crew and cargo flights to the moon, and possibly even Mars, in the coming years.
