Launch of world's most giant rocket: SpaceX gears up for starship's fourth flight
If no unforeseen difficulties arise, the biggest rocket in the world will launch today, Thursday, June 6, after 8:00 AM Eastern Time. This will be Starship's fourth flight, and the event will be broadcast on YouTube.
Starship is scheduled to launch from a base in Texas. SpaceX has announced that the launch window for the fourth flight of the most giant rocket will open at 8:00 AM Eastern Time and last two hours. The latest SpaceX updates indicate that the vehicle will launch at 8:50 AM Eastern Time. The plan includes reaching low Earth orbit and re-entry into the atmosphere.
Fourth starship flight
The complete Starship system stands 120 metres in height and consists of two stages. The first stage is 70 metres tall and is powered by 33 Raptor engines fueled by liquid methane and oxygen. The Starship vehicle is 50 metres tall and powered by 6 Raptor units.
The fourth flight will head east right after the start procedure begins. The plan assumes that the Starship will separate from the booster less than 3 minutes after liftoff. SpaceX plans to discard the ring used to connect the two stages when it approaches landing—this will help reduce mass and allow the booster to land on the ocean.
For Elon Musk's company, the fourth Starship mission is essential to determine if it can recover both rocket stages after a successful flight. The main goal is to properly conduct the engine restart procedure in the Super Heavy booster and ensure a controlled re-entry of Starship into the atmosphere. SpaceX has made several changes to the rocket's components compared to previous Starship missions. SpaceX mentions additional equipment in the liquid oxygen tanks that power the engines. The enhanced version of Starship also includes additional maneuvering engines.
Let's recall that during the previous test flight on March 14, 2024, Starship re-entered the atmosphere from space but was ultimately destroyed. Despite this, SpaceX engineers gathered valuable information that helped the company implement improvements before the fourth rocket flight. The last test also evaluated the opening and closing of the cargo bay and demonstrated how the spacecraft handles fuel transfer in microgravity conditions.
