Elon Musk Sets New Goal for Massive Starship Rocket

The SpaceX CEO wants the fourth test flight of Starship to end in the spacecraft’s safe recovery on Earth, a feat that has thus far eluded the company.

Jack Daleo

Friday, March 29, 2024 at 03:38 PM ET

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SpaceX performs a static fire test on one of the Starship upper stage’s six Raptor engines. [Courtesy: SpaceX]

Key Takeaways:

SpaceX is preparing for the fourth integrated test flight (IFT-4) of its Starship rocket, with the primary goal being for the spacecraft to survive atmospheric reentry.
The third test flight was Starship's most successful to date, achieving orbit and demonstrating key capabilities like propellant transfer, though the vehicle was lost during reentry.
IFT-4 could launch as early as May, following recent static fire tests and pending final clearance from the FAA's ongoing mishap investigation into the previous flight.

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SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has hinted at the goals for the next integrated test flight of the company’s Starship rocket and Super Heavy booster, which together form the largest and most powerful spacecraft ever built.

Starship’s next mission, IFT-4, will be the massive rocket’s fourth since it made its maiden voyage in April 2023. The spacecraft launched for the third time in March, but it was also grounded by the FAA for a third time after SpaceX was unable to recover the rocket and booster when they reentered the atmosphere.