In a milestone in space exploration, SpaceX’s massive Starship rocket soared into the Texas skies on its fourth test flight. Landing gear from SpaceX’s Starbase Test Site in Boca Chica, Texas, demonstrated the spacecraft’s ability to safely orbit and return to Earth—an important feature for future missions on the moon and beyond.
Splashdown confirmed! Congratulations to the entire SpaceX team on an exciting fourth flight test of Starship!
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 6, 2024The nearly 400-foot starship launched at 8:50 a. ET with the first powertrain and very heavy. As he climbed, all eyes were on his performance. Will it reach orbit? Can it be a controlled landing? The latter was important to NASA’s lunar ambitions and SpaceX’s interplanetary travel.
During its flight, the Starship reached orbit, orbited Earth and then gracefully re-entered the atmosphere. The landing was flawless and ended as a water slide in the Indian Ocean. The Super Heavy, meanwhile, demonstrated its prowess by slowly diving into the Gulf of Mexico and returning safely to Earth. Successful recovery in both phases marks an important step towards reusable spaceflight1.
Liftoff of Starship! pic.twitter.com/2Z1PdNPYPG
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 6, 2024NASA has selected the Starship for the Artemis III mission, which will send astronauts to the moon in the coming years. In addition, SpaceX envisioned sending humans to Mars with starships, opening new frontiers for exploration. Thanks to this latest test flight, those dreams are moving closer to reality.
As we celebrate this event, we look to the horizon with renewed hope and optimism. The future of space travel is unfolding before our eyes, with SpaceX’s Starship leading the way.
