SpaceX is going to try and launch its Starship again – and hopes to avoid it exploding this time.

Starship is both the tallest and most powerful rocket ever made. It will be the second test for the spacecraft, which Elon Musk’s private space company hopes will one day take humans to the Moon and beyond.

But first Starship must successfully conduct an uncrewed orbital test, which will see it leave from its launchpad in Texas and then fly almost all the way around the Earth.

The first time that SpaceX attempted to launch Starship, in April, it initially took off cleanly but ran into problems minutes later, spiraling out of control and then exploding.

SpaceX hopes to launch the rocket on Friday morning local central time – though that launch could be pushed back into the weekend or even further depending on conditions.  

SpaceX says the launch window for the rearranged Starship launch will open at the same time it had planned for today: 7am local central time, which is 1pm UK time.

A live video will start about 35 minutes before, SpaceX says on its launch page.

SpaceX hasn’t yet said anything about a possible delay to the launch. But the company’s livestream did briefly switch from 17 November to 18 November, which might be an indication it is being delayed.

The only confirmation however will come from SpaceX, and there is no indication when that might be.

SpaceX is going to try and launch its Starship again – and hopes to avoid it exploding this time.

Starship is both the tallest and most powerful rocket ever made. It will be the second test for the spacecraft, which Elon Musk’s private space company hopes will one day take humans to the Moon and beyond.

But first Starship must successfully conduct an uncrewed orbital test, which will see it leave from its launchpad in Texas and then fly almost all the way around the Earth. Read more on this topic.