SafekipediaStarship flight test 4
Adapted from Wikipedia · Adventurer experience
This article is about the fourth flight test of the SpaceX Starship launch vehicle. The test happened on June 6, 2024. The vehicles used were the Starship Ship 29 upper-stage and Super Heavy Booster 11.
The main goals were for the Super Heavy booster to pretend to land at a special spot above the Gulf of Mexico, and for Starship to stay strong during the hottest part of coming back through the air, called peak heating, during atmospheric re-entry.
This was the first time both Starship and Super Heavy came back safely and landed on their own over the ocean. It was an important step for SpaceX as they work to make new ways to travel to space.
Background
Further information: SpaceX Starship integrated flight test 3 § Aftermath
The fourth test flight of the SpaceX Starship happened on June 6, 2024. The vehicles used were Starship Ship 29 and Super Heavy Booster 11.
Before this flight, SpaceX looked at what went wrong in the third test flight. That flight reached its goals but was destroyed when it came back down. SpaceX fixed some things and got permission from the FAA to launch again. They were allowed to launch on June 4.
The vehicles for this flight, Booster 11 and Ship 29, were prepared with many tests and checks. They were first seen in 2022 and went through important tests in 2023 and early 2024. In May 2024, they were put together and ready for the big test on June 6.
This flight had some changes from the one before. They made improvements to avoid problems from last time, like better engines and more control systems. They also made changes to the protective tiles on the ship and strengthened some parts of the booster.
Flight
The fourth test flight of the SpaceX Starship happened on June 6, 2024. The test used two special vehicles: Starship Ship 29 and Super Heavy Booster 11. This flight was quite similar to the one before it, but some parts of the test were not done this time.
One of the engines on Booster 11 did not work right at the start, and another did not work for the landing. However, because there are many engines, these issues did not stop the flight from succeeding. The booster landed in the Gulf of Mexico very accurately, but it tipped over after landing.
Ship 29 also did well. It entered the atmosphere with some damage but kept control. It then landed above the ocean before splashing down in the Indian Ocean, though it landed a little farther away than planned.
| Time | Event | June 6, 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| −01:15:00 | Flight director conducts a poll and verifies go for propellant loading | Go for propellant loading |
| −00:49:00 | Starship fuel (liquid methane) load start | Success |
| −00:47:00 | Starship oxidizer (liquid oxygen) load start | Success |
| −00:40:00 | Super Heavy fuel (liquid methane) load start | Success |
| −00:37:00 | Super Heavy oxidizer (liquid oxygen) load start | Success |
| −00:19:40 | Super Heavy and Starship engine chill | Success |
| −00:03:20 | Starship propellant load complete | Success |
| −00:02:50 | Super Heavy propellant load complete | Success |
| −00:00:30 | Flight director verifies go for launch | Go for launch |
| −00:00:10 | Flame deflector activation | Success |
| −00:00:03 | Super Heavy engine ignition | Success |
| +00:00:02 | Liftoff | Partial success 1 engine shut down at T+00:00:03 |
| +00:01:02 | Throttle down for max q during ascent (moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket) | Success |
| +00:02:46 | Super Heavy most engines cutoff (MECO) | Success |
| +00:02:51 | Starship engine ignition and stage separation (hot-staging) | Success |
| +00:02:57 | Super Heavy boostback burn start | Success |
| +00:03:47 | Super Heavy boostback burn shutdown | Success |
| +00:04:04 | Hot-stage jettison | Success |
| +00:07:04 | Super Heavy is transonic | —N/a |
| +00:07:09 | Super Heavy landing burn startup | Partial success 12 out of 13 engines ignited |
| +00:07:24 | Super Heavy landing burn shutdown and splashdown | Success |
| +00:08:37 | Starship engine cutoff (SECO) | Success |
| +00:44:54 | Starship atmospheric reentry | Partial success Vehicle damaged on re-entry |
| +01:03:17 | Starship is transonic | —N/a |
| +01:03:38 | Starship is subsonic | —N/a |
| +01:05:36 | Starship landing flip | Success |
| +01:05:39 | Starship landing burn | Success |
| +01:05:56 | Starship splashdown | Partial success Within the target area, but 6 km (3.7 mi) off center |
Reactions
The flight was seen as a success. It was the first time the Super Heavy booster and Ship landed safely under control. On June 12, the FAA said they would not need to look into any problems from Flight 4. This was because everything went as planned and no safety problems happened that were not expected. This was also the first Starship flight test that did not need a check after the flight.
Related articles
This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Starship flight test 4, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.