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    SpaceX Receives FAA License for Fourth Starship Flight Test, Aiming for Reusability Milestones

    Science & Tech 3 Mins Read

    Elon Musk’s vision marches on. Soon we will be on Mars and Elon’s lifelong dream of making humanity an interplanetary species, will be achieved

    SpaceX has been granted a launch license by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for its fourth Starship flight test, scheduled to take place no earlier than June 6 from the Starbase facility near Boca Chica Beach, South Texas. This pivotal test marks another significant step in the company’s ambitious space exploration goals, including missions to the moon and Mars.

    The Starship Flight 4 mission involves the latest iteration of SpaceX’s innovative launch system, which comprises the Starship and its Super Heavy booster. Standing nearly 400 feet tall when assembled, this system is the largest and most powerful rocket in the world, designed for full reusability to support extended space missions.

    Previous Starship tests have demonstrated both progress and setbacks in SpaceX’s development timeline. The inaugural flight in April 2023 resulted in the destruction of both the rocket and the launch pad. A second flight in November 2023 also failed to reach space, while the third flight in March of this year achieved space for the first time but lost the vehicle and its booster before splashdown.

    The FAA has adjusted its oversight for the upcoming flight, allowing for certain scenarios where SpaceX will not need to conduct an in-depth investigation should they result in the loss of the vehicle. This change is designed to streamline the testing process and focus on specific failure conditions that do not compromise public safety.

    Flight 4 aims to demonstrate the operational capabilities of the Starship and its Super Heavy booster, including reaching orbital velocity and executing a controlled reentry and landing. The test plan includes launching the Starship to reach orbital speed, followed by a controlled reentry over the Indian Ocean. The Super Heavy booster is slated to return to the Gulf of Mexico for a soft splashdown, highlighting SpaceX’s focus on reusability.

    This test is crucial for SpaceX as it continues to refine its technology for future commercial and exploratory missions, including NASA’s Artemis program, which has selected the Starship to transport astronauts to the moon’s south pole in 2026. The success of Flight 4 will be a significant milestone in proving the viability of SpaceX’s reusable launch system for sustained deep space exploration.

    Major Points

    • SpaceX has received an FAA launch license for its fourth Starship test flight, scheduled for no earlier than June 6 at the Starbase facility in South Texas.
    • The Starship and its Super Heavy booster, forming the largest and most powerful rocket system designed for full reusability, aim to support missions to the moon, Mars, and beyond.
    • Previous Starship flights included various outcomes, with the first three tests resulting in failures that involved vehicle losses, but the third flight achieved space before losing the booster and spacecraft.
    • The FAA has agreed to exempt SpaceX from conducting in-depth investigations for certain potential failure scenarios in the upcoming test, aiming to streamline the testing process.
    • The fourth flight’s objectives include achieving orbital velocity with Starship and executing a controlled reentry, as well as a soft splashdown of the Super Heavy booster in the Gulf of Mexico, focusing on demonstrating reusability.

    Conner T – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News

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