All permissions are granted. Starship, SpaceX’s super-heavy launcher, is supposed to escape Earth’s gravity the fourth time, this Thursday, June 6, 2024 at 2 p.m. (French time).
This spacecraft will play a key role in the progress of NASA’s Artemis program, since it should allow astronauts to set foot on the surface of the Moon by 2026 (the most optimistic projection).
Demonstrate feedback abilities
But before targeting our natural satellite, Starship has a lot more to show. Let us remind you that the first three copies ended up being destroyed.
Last time, the rocket still achieved its main goal of reaching Earth’s orbit and staying there, while undergoing several other secondary tests.
For this new test, Elon Musk’s company wants to succeed in the atmospheric re-entry of its Starship, which was unsuccessful during the last test but is rich in lessons as required by SpaceX’s development strategy.
Specifically, Elon Musk’s space company wants to recover the first stage of its rocket, the Super Heavy Booster 11, in the Gulf of Mexico, and the second stage, called Ship 29, in the Indian Ocean in a simulated vertical landing.