How to watch SpaceX's Starship launch as NASA awaits lunar progress

SpaceX is hours away from launching Starship on what it calls its “flight 13,” the company’s second flight test of 2026 and its 13th test since 2023. The target launch is Thursday, July 16, with a window opening from 6:45 to 8:15 p.m. ET from SpaceX’s Starbase near the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas. NASA is relying on SpaceX to have Starship ready by 2027 for a test mission that will demonstrate readiness for crewed lunar landing missions under Artemis. The company streamed the launch via its website about 30 minutes before liftoff and will post updates on X, noting the schedule is dynamic. The latest prototype, Version 3 (V3), debuted two months earlier and stands 407 feet tall when fully stacked, designed as the largest and most powerful rocket SpaceX has flown. The trip is also part of broader plans including a future Mars-orbit expedition promised by Elon Musk.