Watch as SpaceX launches its Starship rocket on Thursday 14 March, in a huge test of Elon Musk’s ambitions to send humans to Mars.
The third test flight of the world’s biggest rocket will see it lift off from a launchpad at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas.
Two previous attempts to fly the uncrewed rocket from Texas to Hawaii both ended in high-altitude explosions. The third launch will see a different route attempted, with a splashdown site in the Indian Ocean.
“Each of these flight tests continue to be just that: a test,” SpaceX said ahead of the Starship launch attempt.
“They aren’t occurring in a lab or on a test stand, but are putting flight hardware in a flight environment to maximise learning.”
SpaceX suggested on Thursday morning that the weather was 70 per cent favourable for the launch attempt, which was scheduled for 8:25am local time (1:25pm GMT) after a number of pushbacks.