To get India Standard Time (IST) from a SpaceX launch time, add the gap for the launch site. Starship launches from Texas, on US Central Time. On Central Daylight Time (CDT, UTC−5), add 10 hours 30 minutes. On Central Standard Time (CST, UTC−6), add 11 hours 30 minutes. In 2026, Texas is on CDT until 1 November and on CST from 1 November, when US clocks go back an hour. The box above does the sums for SpaceX's next launches.
For Starship flights, past and upcoming, see our Starship launch tracker.
What is the time gap for each SpaceX launch site?
IST is Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) plus 5 hours 30 minutes. CSIR-NPL, India's national measurement laboratory, keeps it. US time zones are hours behind UTC, by the offsets that the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) lists. Taken together, IST is this far ahead of each SpaceX launch site:
| Launch site | US time zone | Until 1 Nov 2026 | From 1 Nov 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starbase, Texas (Starship) | Central | CDT (UTC−5): IST is 10 h 30 min ahead | CST (UTC−6): IST is 11 h 30 min ahead |
| Cape Canaveral and Kennedy, Florida | Eastern | EDT (UTC−4): 9 h 30 min ahead | EST (UTC−5): 10 h 30 min ahead |
| Vandenberg, California | Pacific | PDT (UTC−7): 12 h 30 min ahead | PST (UTC−8): 13 h 30 min ahead |
CDT, EDT and PDT are the US daylight time names. CST, EST and PST are standard time.
Why does the gap change on 1 November?
In 2026, US daylight saving time runs until 2 a.m. local time on Sunday 1 November, NIST says. US clocks go back an hour, and IST does not change, so every gap grows by an hour. Under the same rules, daylight time starts again on the second Sunday of March, which is 14 March 2027. The gaps then shrink by an hour.
How do I convert a Starship launch time?
Take Flight 14. SpaceX says it lifted off from Starbase at 7:48 a.m. CT on Monday 28 September 2026. Texas was on CDT then, so add 10 hours 30 minutes: that is 6:18 PM IST on the same day.
On CST, from 1 November 2026, add 11 hours 30 minutes instead. For example, a launch at 6:00 p.m. CST would be 5:30 AM IST the next day. Watch the date: an evening launch in the US falls on the next day in India.
For the next flight, see When is the next Starship launch?
What does "CT" mean in a SpaceX post?
CT is US Central Time, the zone at Starbase. It means CDT in daylight time and CST in standard time. "ET" and "PT" work the same way for Eastern and Pacific time.
Is IST the same across India?
Yes. IST is the common time reference for the whole country. On 27 August 2026, the government notified rules that set IST as the legally recognised time reference, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) said. The rules come into force 180 days after they were published in the Official Gazette on 29 August. For any launch, see Is there a rocket launch today? or the full launch tracker.