A day after Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft successfully lifted off with astronauts on board for the first time, Space X also had a successful launch of a fourth test flight of its Starship vehicle.
Watch the entire launch below:
Watch Starship’s fourth flight test → https://t.co/bJFjLCiTbK https://t.co/SjpjscHoUB
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 6, 2024
Building on the success of the third flight, which achieved milestones such as the first reentry from space and a propellant transfer demonstration, the fourth test aimed to demonstrate the reusability of both Starship and the Super Heavy booster.
The test is a crucial step toward SpaceX’s goal of developing a fully reusable transportation system for missions to Earth orbit, the moon and eventually to the greater solar system..
“We are another step closer to returning humanity to the Moon through #Artemis—then looking onward to Mars,” Bill Nelson, the administrator of NASA, wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).
The ship was planned to splashdown in the Indian Ocean, which SpaceX reported was. successful.
Space X wrote on X, “Splashdown confirmed! Congratulations to the entire SpaceX team on an exciting fourth flight test of Starship!”
Watch a cool slomo liftoff that was broadcast on X:
Slow motion liftoff of Starship on Flight 4 pic.twitter.com/9itFbrfxW7
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 6, 2024
According to a description of the vehicle on Space X’s website, “Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket – collectively referred to as Starship – represent a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond. Starship is the world’s most powerful launch vehicle ever developed, capable of carrying up to 150 metric tonnes fully reusable and 250 metric tonnes expendable.”
Photo: Space X social media post via X.
