SpaceX successfully completed the fourth test flight of its Starship spacecraft last Thursday, achieving all three main objectives of the mission: a successful return of the spacecraft to the atmosphere, and successful landing maneuvers of both the booster rocket and the spacecraft itself. The Starship launched from the company's base in South Texas, and three minutes later, as planned, it detached from the booster rocket, the "Super Heavy." Unlike previous test flights, this time the rocket managed to stabilize itself after a free fall of over a hundred kilometers and positioned itself vertically above the Gulf of Mexico.
In the future, the company plans to perform the landing maneuver at the launch site itself, where the hovering rocket will be caught by specialized arms located on the launch tower. 3 View gallery Success in the three main objectives, gearing up for the major challenges ahead. Launch of the "Starship" for its fourth test flight ( Photo: SpaceX ) Meanwhile, the spacecraft continued its trajectory, re-entering the atmosphere over the Indian Ocean.
Unlike previous tests that ended in fiery explosions shortly after re-entry, this time, despite losing many tiles from its heat shield and a portion of its wing, the Starship survived, executing a successful water landing maneuver. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk congratulated the company's employees on the successful test in a tweet. SpaceX has made significant progress in each of the Starship test flights but still faces ver.
