Starship's Fourth Test Launch Succeeds, Successfully Splashing Down in the Indian Ocean | WPN World People News

On the 6th of this month, SpaceX's Starship rocket completed its fourth test launch, successfully splashing down in the Indian Ocean as planned. This test showcased significant progress in the Starship program!

Starship lifted off from the Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, at 7:50 AM Eastern Time. Within three minutes of liftoff, the first-stage booster successfully separated from the second-stage Starship spacecraft. The booster then fell into the Gulf of Mexico, while Starship continued its journey into space.

After approximately 70 minutes of flight, Starship re-entered the atmosphere and successfully splashed down in the Indian Ocean. This test particularly focused on evaluating Starship's heat resistance during re-entry. In the previous test, Starship disintegrated at this stage, but this time, the successful landing demonstrated significant technical improvements.

Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX, noted that despite some heat shield tiles falling off and damage to the flaps, Starship still managed a soft landing. This test is significant for SpaceX's Mars mission and NASA's lunar landing plans.

Standing at 122 meters tall, the Starship rocket is one of the most powerful launch systems in the world. Since its first test launch in April 2023, Starship has made progress with each test. This latest success further solidifies SpaceX's leading position in the commercial space exploration field and provides crucial data for future space missions.

This successful test also demonstrated SpaceX's breakthrough in reusable rocket technology, which will significantly reduce the cost of space exploration and propel humanity toward farther interstellar travel. With continuous technological advancements, SpaceX is expected to achieve more successful test launches, ultimately realizing its ambitious space exploration goals.