Houston, Texas – SpaceX is gearing up for the fourth test flight of its Starship prototype, with plans to land back in the Indian Ocean as part of its reusability demonstration. The launch is scheduled for Thursday, June 6, at 8 a.m. ET from the company’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica.
This upcoming test flight aims to push the boundaries of Starship’s capabilities by focusing on bringing back both stages of the rocket safely to Earth. The main objectives include a controlled re-entry of Starship and a soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico with the Super Heavy booster.
SpaceX recently received a launch license from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the upcoming flight, allowing the company to continue its testing and development efforts. This marks the fourth time the 400-foot-tall megarocket will take to the skies.
Previous test flights of the Starship did not go as planned, with explosions occurring during the first two launches above the Gulf of Mexico. However, the last flight on March 14 showed promising progress, achieving several milestones such as successful stage separation and engine burn.
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, emphasized the importance of this mission in pushing the boundaries of re-entry into the atmosphere. The ultimate goal is to prepare Starship for future missions, including potentially landing humans on the Moon as part of NASA’s Artemis 3 mission.
The livestream of the test flight will be available on SpaceX’s website, providing viewers with a front-row seat to the company’s latest developments in space exploration. With each test flight, SpaceX continues to refine and improve Starship’s capabilities, setting the stage for future missions to the Moon and beyond.
As SpaceX pushes the limits of space travel with Starship, the world watches in anticipation of what the fourth test flight will reveal about the rocket’s potential for future space exploration endeavors. Stay tuned for updates on this exciting milestone in SpaceX’s ongoing journey towards pushing the boundaries of space travel.