SpaceX's Starship mega rocket completes its fourth successful test flight.
"Splashdown accomplished! Bravo to SpaceX's crew for their captivating fourth test voyage of the Starship!" proclaimed the company. Onlookers could also witness the descent on a live feed.
The rocket had launched from the Starbase spaceterminal in Boca Chica, Texas, on Thursday morning (in the local time zone). The main objective of this fourth test was the controlled and secure return of the rocket to Earth and its potential for reuse.
SpaceX aims to utilize the Starship rocket to shuttle people to Mars in the future. However, prior to that, this gigantic rocket, designed to be completely reusable, is expected to transport NASA astronauts to the moon.
In 2026, NASA plans to transport astronauts to the moon for the first time in 50+ years with the Starship rocket. For the Artemis 3 mission, this new rocket must be able to launch into orbit and then be refueled by various "Starship tankers" for its lengthy journey into the void.
In April 2023, during its first test flight, the Starship rocket spun wildly out of control and eventually exploded mid-air. A second attempt took place in November 2023. The rocket successfully launched, but then exploded following the separation from the booster. The third test flight occurred in mid-March, causing it to traverse a considerably greater distance back to Earth before SpaceX declared it missing 49 minutes after liftoff.
