SpaceX’s ambitious Starship rocket reached another milestone on June 6, 2024, with its fourth test flight. The uncrewed test, launched from the Starbase facility in Texas, successfully blasted off into the atmosphere and traveled over the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Indian Ocean for approximately 40 minutes.
During reentry, debris was observed streaming off one of the Starship’s flaps, partially obscuring camera views. Despite the damage, SpaceX emphasized that the primary goal was to gather data, which was achieved despite the issue. The Starship executed a flip maneuver, transitioning into a vertical position, and performed a landing burn, marking the first time the vehicle had progressed this far in its testing process.
The test also included the separation of the first stage, or booster, known as the Super Heavy booster, which provides propulsion during launch. Like SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, the Starship’s booster is designed to be ejected once its purpose is served and land in the ocean or on land for reuse. Falcon 9 rockets have routinely demonstrated successful booster landings and reuse, reducing operational costs. In today’s test, the Super Heavy booster successfully splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico.
Overall, the fourth test flight of Starship represents significant progress for the program. While additional work is required to ensure the vehicle’s safety for regular use, the test demonstrated its ability to launch, travel through space, and return to Earth, inspiring optimism for future testing and the ultimate realization of SpaceX’s ambitious space exploration goals.
