Starship’s fourth test launch likely on June 6, SpaceX targets reusability

SpaceX is preparing for the highly anticipated fourth flight test of its massive Starship rocket, which could launch as early as June 6 pending regulatory approval.

This upcoming mission aims to take a significant step towards the company’s goal of achieving rapid reusability for its interplanetary transportation system.

The previous Starship test flight in April made history, marking the first time the vehicle reentered from space, opened and closed its payload door in orbit, and successfully demonstrated propellant transfer capabilities crucial for future missions like NASA’s Artemis program to return humans to the Moon.

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Now, the fourth flight is shifting focus to an equally critical milestone: demonstrating the ability to recover and reuse both the Starship upper stage and the massive Super Heavy booster after launch.

“The primary objectives will be executing a landing burn and soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico with the Super Heavy booster, and achieving a controlled entry of Starship,” SpaceX stated in a mission overview.

To increase reliability, the company has implemented several upgrades based on lessons from the previous test flight. This includes software improvements, hardware changes, and operational adjustments like jettisoning the Super Heavy’s hot-stage during boostback to reduce mass for the final descent.

The flight trajectory will be similar to the previous test, with Starship targeted for a splashdown in the Indian Ocean after reentering without performing a deorbit burn – a decision made to maximize public safety while still meeting the primary reentry objective.

As SpaceX continues its rapid development of Starship, each flight test provides invaluable data and experience as the company works towards its vision of a fully reusable transportation system capable of carrying crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond.