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Space X launched fourth test flight of its interplanetary ship prototype Starship from its base in Boca Chica, Texas, United States.
The takeoff of the new bet Space X was launched this Wednesday, June 6, 2024. The separation of the booster rocket took place 3 minutes into the flight, at an altitude of 90 kilometers.
The objective is to achieve the earth orbit to demonstrate the ability to return and reuse the Starship itself and its Super Heavy carrier rocket.
Mainly, it seeks to execute a burn landing and a soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico with the rocket Super Heavy minutes after takeoff. Also achieve a controlled entry of Starship and splash down in the Indian Ocean near Australia as a culmination of the flight, reports Space X.
A new bet from Space
On the third flight, on March 14, the ship separated from the rocket and reached orbital flight. However, it was lost over the Indian Ocean before the planned controlled splashdown and the rocket could not be recovered either.
To achieve the new goals, several software and hardware upgrades have been made. The SpaceX team will also implement operational changes, including the dismissal of Super Heavy’s ‘hot-stage’.
It involves the hot separation of two parts of the rocket after recoil to reduce the mass of the device for the final phase of the flight.
The fourth flight will follow a similar trajectory to the previous flight test, with Starship aiming to splash down in the Indian Ocean, Australia. Reentry into the atmosphere with extreme heat due to friction is the main challenge for Starship to return to the surface safely.
The moon, Mars and beyond
Spaceship Starship and SpaceX’s Super Heavy rocket, Collectively called Starship, they represent a fully reusable transportation system. “It is designed to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond,” Space X says.
Starship is the world’s most powerful launch vehicle ever developed, capable of carrying up to 150 metric tons fully reusable and 250 disposable metric tons. It has a height of 121 meters (50 of them correspond to the nave itself) and a diameter of 9.
The Super Heavy rocket is powered by 33 reusable methane and oxygen staged combustion Raptor engines. the ship Starship has six other engines: three Raptor engines and three Raptor Vacuum (RVac) engines, which are designed for use in the vacuum of space.