AmericaStarship, the most powerful launch vehicle ever built, successfully completed its fourth test flight on June 6. The launch took place from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, at 7:50 p.m. Hanoi time. The Starship launch system consists of the Starship spacecraft on the upper stage and the Super Heavy booster rocket, with 32 of the vehicle’s 33 engines firing during launch.
During the test flight, Starship achieved several key milestones, including the Starship capsule remaining intact after experiencing extreme temperatures in the Earth’s atmosphere and both the capsule and boosters landing safely. The Super Heavy booster successfully completed the engine burn for the first time to land in the Gulf of Mexico about 8 minutes after launch, while the Starship capsule flew into orbit and reentered control 50 minutes later. The vehicle’s heat shield, covered with 18,000 ultra-light hexagonal ceramic panels, protected it during reentry.
The test flight was approved two days after the US Federal Aviation Administration granted SpaceX a license. Each test flight has a unique goal to enhance the development of the Starship. SpaceX continues to update the hardware and software to build a fully reusable transportation system for carrying passengers and goods to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
Despite previous test flight failures, SpaceX remains dedicated to advancing the Starship for future missions to Mars. The Starship, at 120 meters tall and capable of generating nearly 8,000 tons of thrust upon launch, is pivotal in Elon Musk’s goal of sending humans to Mars. NASA has selected the Starship for the Artemis program to bring astronauts to the Moon, with the mission expected to take place as early as 2026.