The world’s most formidable rocket, SpaceX’s Starship, stands poised on the launchpad at the company’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas. With its sights set on a fourth test flight, SpaceX has now pinpointed a specific target date for the highly anticipated launch: Wednesday, June 5. The announcement, made in a social media post, carries the caveat that the proposed schedule hinges on regulatory approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA has not yet released the findings of its investigation into SpaceX’s third Starship test flight, conducted in March, although an update is expected soon.
The towering 120-meter-tall Starship rocket comprises two components: the Super Heavy booster and the upper-stage Starship spacecraft. Unleashing an astounding 17 million pounds of thrust at launch, the Starship emerges as the most powerful rocket to ever grace the skies. Its ultimate mission lies in propelling humans to Mars, but before that ambitious endeavor can be realized, the Starship is slated to transport crew and cargo to the Moon as part of NASA’s Artemis program, which enlists multiple commercial partners for a series of lunar missions.
The Starship’s maiden flight took place in April last year, but the journey ended abruptly with an explosion just minutes after launch. A second test flight in November also concluded prematurely, though this time the vehicle managed to execute stage separation, with the spacecraft successfully detaching from the booster. The most recent test, however, was a resounding success, achieving orbit for the first time.
In preparation for this upcoming fourth flight test, SpaceX has shifted its focus from achieving orbit to demonstrating the Starship and Super Heavy’s ability to return and be reused. The mission’s primary objectives include executing a landing burn and executing a soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico with the Super Heavy booster. Additionally, the Starship aims for a controlled entry with the intention of splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
The upcoming flight, like its three predecessors, will commence from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas. Beyond this launch site, SpaceX is pursuing Starship launches from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida as part of its strategy to significantly increase the flight frequency of its next-generation reusable rocket.
