After a successful third flight SpaceX doesn’t want to waste time and has already set a release date for the fourth release Starship. Elon Musk’s company aims to complete the trial next month and has two key goals. On the one hand, repeat the controlled entry into the atmosphere of the Starship, and on the other, achieve the first splashdown of a super-heavy rocket.
According to SpaceX, the next Starship takeoff is scheduled for Wednesday, June 5. The launch window will open at 7:00 am Central Time in the US (2:00 pm in Spain). It is logical that both the date and time may be affected by inclement weather or technical problems.
It’s also worth saying that Starship’s fourth flight still needs to receive regulatory approval. Although this is a mere formality, there is no reason yet to believe that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) may refuse SpaceX authorization.
The aerospace firm says the fourth test will focus less on reaching Earth orbit and more on demonstrate the entry and recovery capabilities of the starship and its massive booster.. The objectives will be to achieve a “soft landing” of Super Heavy in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as a controlled re-entry of the ship into the atmosphere, which, like the previous flight, will land in the Indian Ocean.
SpaceX indicates that Starship’s next flight will follow a similar trajectory to the one flown in March. The company says the June test will test software, hardware, and operational modifications implemented based on information collected during the third launch.
SpaceX’s Starship is preparing for its fourth flight
If SpaceX completes its fourth Starship launch on June 5, will once again reduce the gap between different attempts. Let us recall that the ship first took off in April 2023, and its second takeoff occurred only in November of the same year. During this time, Elon Musk’s team had to make many changes to the ship, super-heavy rocket and launch platform.
The third flight occurred almost 4 months after the second. Whereas the difference between the third and fourth could only be about two and a half months. Unless, of course, there are any failures. The flexibility that SpaceX has achieved with Starship is truly incredible, and the company recognizes this.
“We continue to rapidly develop Starship, putting flight hardware into the flight environment to get it up and running as quickly as possible, while building a fully reusable transport system designed to carry crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond.”
SpaceX
It’s important to remember that the third Starship test was classified as historic for SpaceX and the future of space exploration. The company opened Starship’s cargo door in space for the first time and completed a demonstration of fuel transport in orbit. Last, is critical for refueling spacecraft when used in NASA programs.. Finally, Musk’s team completed the spacecraft’s first successful re-entry, although on a bitter note it lost contact with the super-heavy rocket due to a malfunction caused by a clogged filter.
Source: Hiper Textual
