SpaceX has announced a target date for the next flight of its massive Starship rocket, aiming for a launch on June 5. The Starship system, designed to carry humans and heavy cargo to the Moon, Mars, and beyond, is also critical for NASA’s Artemis 3 mission. However, this date is tentative, pending regulatory approval.
Preparing for the Fourth Starship Flight
Assuming all necessary approvals are obtained and everything proceeds as planned, the Starship will lift off from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in South Texas at 3:00 PM UTC on June 5. SpaceX has stated that they will stream the launch live on X (formerly known as Twitter), starting 30 minutes before liftoff. This fourth test flight aims to demonstrate the Super Heavy booster’s ability to perform a controlled landing in the Gulf of Mexico and the Starship upper stage’s capability to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere and land in the Indian Ocean.
Previous Starship Flight Experiences
To date, the Starship has flown three times: in April 2023, November 2023, and most recently on March 14 this year. Standing 122 meters tall, Starship has reached higher altitudes and achieved better performance with each flight. During the first launch, the Super Heavy and Starship stages failed to separate and exploded after four minutes. The second flight lasted about eight minutes and achieved stage separation. The third and most recent flight lasted 50 minutes, with the Starship stage reaching orbital velocity but exploding during re-entry. The Super Heavy stage disintegrated while attempting a landing in the Gulf of Mexico.
Issues in the Third Test Flight and Subsequent Improvements
During the third flight, SpaceX aimed for a soft landing of the Super Heavy booster in the Gulf of Mexico. After separating from the Starship upper stage, 13 of the booster’s 33 Raptor engines successfully re-ignited for a controlled descent in the lower atmosphere. However, six engines shut down prematurely during this phase, and when the rocket neared the sea surface, these engines failed to reignite, leading to an explosion at 462 meters above the water. SpaceX identified a clogged filter in the liquid oxygen supply to the Raptor engines as the cause. For the fourth flight and beyond, the company has enhanced the filtering systems in the Super Heavy boosters and added new equipment inside the oxygen tanks.
The Starship upper stage lost attitude control and began tumbling during re-entry due to blockages in the valves responsible for yaw control. In response, SpaceX has added more yaw control thrusters and upgraded the hardware for increased durability in the new Starship stage.
Conclusion
SpaceX is set for the fourth launch of its Starship, contingent on regulatory clearances, and is aiming for June 5. This test flight will once again evaluate Starship’s readiness for missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. All eyes will be on the Starbase facility on June 5 to witness this significant milestone and the future achievements of SpaceX.
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