SpaceX Starship is preparing for its fourth test flight, a vital step towards NASA’s plans to land astronauts on the Moon later this decade and Elon Musk’s goal of colonizing Mars.
Jerrymusa.com reports that the launch window opens at 7:00 am local time in Texas, with favorable weather conditions and clearance from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Despite three previous attempts ending in fiery destruction, SpaceX views these setbacks as an acceptable cost in their rapid trial-and-error approach to development.
SpaceX Capabilities
This test focuses on demonstrating the ability to return and reuse Starship and its Super Heavy booster, with a soft splashdown and controlled entry.
Standing 397 feet tall, Starship produces 16.7 million pounds of thrust, almost double that of the world’s second most powerful rocket. SpaceX has made several software and hardware upgrades since the last test and hopes to achieve a major milestone in reusability.
With NASA’s lunar mission relying on a modified Starship in 2026, time is of the essence for SpaceX to overcome the challenges and achieve success.
Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa has canceled his planned trip around the Moon on Starship due to uncertainty over the project’s timeline, highlighting the pressure SpaceX faces to deliver results.