SpaceX's Starship successfully completes fourth test flight, from launch to landing



SpaceX, an aerospace company led by Elon Musk, conducted a test launch of the world's largest rocket, Starship, at 7:50 a.m. local time on June 6, 2024 (21:50 Japan time). This was the fourth launch test, and for the first time, both the booster part, Super Heavy, and the spacecraft part were successfully returned and landed on water after launch.

STARSHIP'S FOURTH FLIGHT TEST - SpaceX - Launches

https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=starship-flight-4



The first flight test of Starship took place on April 20, 2023, and although it was successful in launch, it lost control during flight due to engine trouble and other factors, and exploded in mid-air. The flight time was about four minutes.

SpaceX's Starship explodes in mid-air during test flight, but spectators cheer and media reports it as a success - GIGAZINE



The second test flight took place on November 18, 2023, but again it exploded about nine minutes after launch due to engine trouble and a liquid oxygen leak. The third test flight took place on March 14, 2024, and although the spacecraft was successfully inserted into orbit, both the Super Heavy and the spacecraft experienced problems during the landing sequence and broke apart in mid-air.

Details of this fourth flight test can be found on the official SpaceX account below.




Starship will launch from Starbase in Texas, USA.



About three minutes after launch, the booster Super Heavy and the spacecraft portion of the rocket separated.



The Super Heavy will slow down and land on the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.



After traveling outside the atmosphere for a while, Starship will re-enter the atmosphere over the Indian Ocean.



The Starship will then slow down and land in the eastern Indian Ocean.



The actual test flight was broadcast on X, and the official SpaceX account posted a digest.

The launch scene




Slow motion video of the launch




The scene where Super Heavy separates




The Hot Stage Ring, the connecting ring between the Super Heavy and Starship, is being jettisoned to reduce weight.




Super Heavy successfully lands on the surface of the Gulf of Mexico




Starships navigating space




Starship re-entry into the atmosphere




'Starship demonstrated the ability to use flaps to control the vehicle while descending through the atmosphere at hypersonic speeds.'




The camera at the time of landing looks like this. Although it is dark and the situation is unclear, you can see that the Starship's attitude in the lower right is upright and the altitude is 0, so you can see that it has landed on the water.



SpaceX said the results of the test flight were 'a major step closer to the future of rapidly reusable rockets,' and SpaceX boss Elon Musk wrote in a tweet that 'today is a great day for the future of humanity as a space-based civilization.'


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in Hardware,   Ride,   Video, Posted by log1d_ts