77 to
Starbase

02 · Ground track

One road, mostly

Out of Austin through barbecue country, then onto US-77 at Victoria for the long, straight run south through ranch land to the Mexican border. 383 miles to the island, plus a 41-mile round trip to the pads on recon day (dashed).

03 · Flight plan

Four days, counted down

Every trip runs the same four days: Austin, the drive, the launch, the drive home. Days are counted from launch day (L‑0); if the launch slips, the plan slides with it.

1. Day 1Touchdown
2. Day 2The drive
3. Day 3Launch
4. Day 4Return
5. Day 5Wheels up

1. Day 1

   L-2

   Touchdown · Austin

   AUS → South Congress

   • Land at AUS. I pick you up in the Cybertruck.
   • Barbecue: Franklin if you can face the line (people queue for hours before it opens), otherwise la Barbecue or Terry Black’s.
   • Boots and a hat at Allens Boots on South Congress, then a walk down the strip.
   • Dusk at the Congress Avenue Bridge, where about 1.5 million bats fly out (March to October). Out of season: Rainey Street.
2. Day 2

   L-1

   The drive · Highway 77

   Austin → Starbase → South Padre Island

   • Early start. Lockhart, the barbecue capital of Texas: brisket for breakfast is allowed.
   • Luling Buc-ee’s, the largest convenience store in the world. Brisket sandwich and beaver nuggets. Stock up: the ranch country further south is long and empty.
   • Charge in Victoria, then the long, straight run down US-77 through Kingsville and King Ranch.
   • Brownsville at golden hour, then east on Highway 4 to Starbase. If the rocket is stacked, it is lit up on the pad after dark.
   • Highway 4 sometimes closes at night to move vehicles, so we check before we turn off. Then about an hour around the bay to the island.
3. Day 3

   L-0

   Launch · Beach

   Isla Blanca Park, South Padre Island

   • Recent windows have opened in the early morning or the early evening. The exact time firms up a few days out.
   • Highway 4 and Boca Chica Beach close for the launch, so we watch from Isla Blanca Park, about 5 miles across the pass. Get there early: island traffic backs up.
   • Liftoff. The sound arrives roughly 25 seconds after you see it. If they try a catch, watch the booster fly back to the tower.
   • The rest of the day on the beach. Gulf ceviche.
4. Day 4

   L+1

   Return · US-77 north

   South Padre Island → Austin

   • The same 383 miles back: 6 to 7 hours of driving, more with stops. Long conversations included.
   • Border Patrol checkpoint on US-77 near Sarita, northbound only. ID on you.
   • Luling Buc-ee’s again, for everything you said you would buy on the way down.
   • Back in Austin by evening. One last brisket.

05 · Launch manifest

The next three

There's a trip for every Starbase launch, not just these three. Pick one, name a month and we'll aim for the flight closest to it, or follow along until a date suits you. SpaceX rarely confirms dates more than a few days ahead: treat the first entry as a watch date, the second as a direction, and the third as a guess. Last updated 2026-10-17.

Last flight · Flight 14 · 2026-09-28 · Ship reached orbit for the first time and deployed 26 Starlink V3 satellites. The booster made a controlled splashdown in the Gulf.

06 · Vehicles

Stage zero and stage one

07 · Pre-flight checklist

Before you book

• GOID on youUS-77 has a Border Patrol checkpoint on the way north. Non-citizens bring a passport or green card.
• GOFlexible flightBook a fare you can change. Launch dates can move by days or weeks.
• GOLayersPre-dawn on the beach is chilly, and noon is not.
• GOBinocularsFive miles is close, but not that close.
• GOBoots budgetYou will be tempted.