If you’re eager to see SpaceX’s gargantuan Starship spacecraft thunder into the sky from South Texas, now is your chance.
What could be the commercial spaceflight company’s last flight test of 2025 from its Starbase headquarters for the world’s largest rocket is coming up in a matter of days.
And once again, spectators in Texas could have a front-row seat as Starship blasts off. A nearby locale, South Padre Island, has become popular among SpaceX fans and others as a gathering spot to watch the massive spacecraft get off the ground.
This time around, SpaceX, founded in 2002 by billionaire Elon Musk, is looking to build off the momentum of its most successful launch of the year in August. That flight test, the fourth of 2025 and 10th since 2023, comes as SpaceX looks to ramp up the development for a vehicle that could help humans land on the moon and Mars.
Here’s where you can watch SpaceX conduct its next Starship flight test from Starbase, Texas, as well as what to expect for flight 11.
What date will Starship launch? SpaceX plans Starbase flight test
SpaceX plans to conduct the 11th flight test of its Starship spacecraft Monday, Oct. 13, with a target liftoff time of 6:15 p.m. CT.
SpaceX conducts Starship test flights from the company’s Starbase headquarters in South Texas, located about 180 miles south of Corpus Christi near the U.S.-Mexico border. Texas voters in Cameron County approved a measure in May for Starbase to become a city, complete with a mayor and a city council.
Where in Texas can you watch Starship launch? What to know about South Padre Island
While Starbase isn’t open to outsiders for launch-viewing, a nearby location has become a famous spot for Texans and space enthusiasts to watch Starship get off the ground.
Isla Blanca Park, 33174 State Park Road 100, is located on the southernmost tip of the resort town South Padre Island on the southern Texas coast. With more than a mile of beaches, the park reliably attracts sizable crowds anytime Starship is due for its latest flight test.
The city of Starbase also recommends the nearby city of Port Isabel to the north as a place to view SpaceX launches.
What is SpaceX planning for next Starship test flight?
SpaceX plans to use the flight test to gather data to inform the design of the next iteration of its lower-stage rocket booster, known as Super Heavy, while stress-testing the upper-stage vehicle’s heatshield. The company also detailed plans for the upper stage, simply known as Starship, to attempt mid-flight maneuvers that will be necessary for it to one day be capable of returning and landing back at the launch site.
The upper stage is intended to land in the Indian Ocean.
For the second time ever, SpaceX also plans to use a Super Heavy booster that has flown on a previous Starship flight test. Additionally, 24 of its 33 engines in the SpaceX Raptor family will be “flight proven,” SpaceX said.
For the third time in a row, the booster will not return to the launch site, instead landing in the Gulf of Mexico, renamed by the U.S. government as the Gulf of America, as SpaceX attempts to push its performance beyond what has so far been attempted.
What is Starship? How big is Mars, moon-bound rocket?
The Starship, standing 403 feet tall when fully stacked, is regarded as the world’s largest and most powerful launch vehicle ever developed. When fully integrated, the launch system is composed of both a 232-foot Super Heavy rocket and the 171-foot upper stage Starship, the spacecraft where crew and cargo would ride.
SpaceX is developing Starship to be a fully reusable transportation system, meaning the rocket and vehicle can return to the ground for additional missions.
In the years ahead, Starship is set to serve a pivotal role in future U.S. spaceflight.
Starship is the centerpiece of Musk’s vision of sending the first humans to Mars, with plans for the first uncrewed Starship to head to the Red Planet as early as 2026.
A configuration of the vehicle is also critical in NASA’s plans to return astronauts to the moon’s surface. The U.S. space agency has designs on using Starship to ferry Artemis III astronauts from an Orion capsule in orbit to the lunar surface as early as 2027.
Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Where can you see Starship launch in Texas? This nearby island is popular for spectators
Reporting by Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY NETWORK / Corpus Christi Caller Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
