We’re now on the brink of a new flight test for Starship and Super Heavy, with IFT-6 now scheduled for November 18, with a 30-minute launch window opening at 23:00 CET.

Booster 13 and Ship 31 (still in version 1.0) will follow the exact same flight profile as IFT-5, but there are several new features, especially for Starship. The launch will be from Boca Chica, with Booster 13 set to return after just a few minutes. This time, Super Heavy will have increased redundancy across many of its onboard systems, both engine-related and otherwise. There will also be greater structural support for catch-related activities, and, still on the capture side, the propellant drainage time post-landing has been reduced. All of this is paired with various software upgrades for control and decision-making systems (go/no-go for launch and booster return to the launch pad).

As for Starship, it will push the boundaries even further with this test. Although its trajectory will remain the same, with a splashdown in the Indian Ocean, it will attempt to reignite one of its Raptors once in space and test new approaches to thermal and attitude control during re-entry. In particular, new secondary thermal protection materials will be tested, and whole sections of heat shield tiles will be deliberately omitted from both sides of the ship. This will be done in specific areas that will be critical in future catch tests. Starship will also re-enter at a steeper angle in the final descent phase, deliberately stressing the control limits of the wings to gather data for future landing profiles.

The timing change for the test will allow Starship to re-enter over the Indian Ocean in daylight, providing better conditions for observation and visual data collection via buoys or ships.

Starting from the seventh flight test, we’ll see significant updates in Starship (version 2.0), including redesigned front wings, larger propellant tanks, and next-generation thermal tiles with secondary thermal protection layers. SpaceX's goal is to continue iterating toward a fully reusable heat shield, using these flights to determine the optimal solution.

As a cherry on top, a summary video of IFT-5 has been released, with some never-before-seen footage. You can find it on SpaceX's YouTube channel.

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