SpaceX's Starship ambitious re‑entry test aims high

As part of the fifth test, SpaceX's Starship rocket launched from the Boca Chica base in the U.S. The plan includes the return of the Super Heavy booster to the launch site and a water landing of the Starship in the Indian Ocean. The mission is vital for future flights to the Moon and Mars.

During this test, the company aimed to bring back the Super Heavy booster to the launch site, attempting to catch it, and land the Starship in the Indian Ocean, west of Australia.

The Starship rocket consists of two main components: the Super Heavy booster and the Starship spacecraft. Its goal is not only to deliver heavy loads to orbit at lower costs but also to play a crucial role in future missions to the Moon and Mars. Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX, believes the Starship can enable regular transport connections with the Moon. The colonization of Mars is also planned for the future. NASA has high hopes for the SpaceX project, planning to send astronauts to the Moon as part of the Artemis 3 mission in 2026.

Four tests of the mega-rocket have been conducted so far. The first one in April 2023 ended with the ship's explosion about four minutes after liftoff when the Super Heavy booster failed to separate. The next attempt in November 2023 also failed—the upper stage of the rocket detached but exploded.

During the third flight in March 2024, Starship re-entered the atmosphere from outer space, providing engineers with valuable data despite the spacecraft's destruction. In the fourth test on June 6, the booster separated as planned, falling into the Gulf of Mexico, and the Starship survived re-entry with a water landing.