SpaceX third Starship flight prepares to launch TODAY with hopes of eventually carrying NASA astronauts to the moon

Elon Musk’s next-generation Starship Flight 3 (unofficially IFT-3) is set to launch Thursday morning, with the 400-foot tall, reusable rocket hoping to blast off

Elon Musk’s ambitious Starship program takes center stage again on Thursday morning. The towering, 400-foot tall, fully reusable rocket is poised for its third orbital test flight, aiming for a successful liftoff during a 110-minute window that opens at 8:00 AM CDT (9:00 AM EDT, 12:00 GMT).

The Launch and Flight have so far been successful with the 33 Raptor Engines. The return booster was meant to have a soft splashdown but an engine burn did not complete and it ended up a hard splashdown. where viewers watched until the camera cut out. Meanwhile, the Starship is to carry out tests before re-entry and touchdown in the Indian Ocean.

Elon Musk’s ambitious Starship program takes center stage again on Thursday morning. The towering, 400-foot tall, fully reusable rocket is poised for its third orbital test flight, aiming for a successful liftoff during a 110-minute window that opens at 8:00 AM CDT (9:00 AM EDT, 12:00 GMT).

Early Morning Fog Gives Way to Anticipation

Despite predawn fog shrouding the launch pad, anticipation hangs thick in the air at SpaceX’s Starbase facility near Boca Chica, Texas. Spectators are already gathering nearby, eager to witness this historic attempt.

Most Powerful Launch Vehicle Yet

Starship holds the title of the most powerful launch vehicle ever built, and it’s among the largest. Its mission will culminate with a soft water landing of the massive Booster 10 in the Gulf of Mexico and Starship (Ship 28) returning to Earth with a splashdown in the Indian Ocean.

Weather Monitoring Ensures Safety

While marine fog currently blankets the launch site, SpaceX is closely monitoring conditions. Weather balloons in the Brownsville area are gathering crucial wind shear data along the flight path to ensure a safe launch window.

Starship — after spending predawn on the platform shrouded in banks of fog — has a launch window of 110 minutes beginning at 9am Eastern Daylight Time (1200 GMT).

The most powerful and to-date one of the largest launch vehicles ever constructed, Starship’s mission will conclude with a soft splashdown of its Booster 10 in the Gulf of Mexico and a splashdown of its Ship 28 in the Indian Ocean.

In-person spectators are now watching live through the haze near SpaceX’s Boca Chica, Texas, flight test facility on the Gulf Coast.

A spokesperson for SpaceX described the weather as ‘marine fog,’ and noted that multiple weather balloons in the Brownsville area are collecting more data, including critical wind sheer information along Starship’s flight path, in advance of the launch.