On Thursday, SpaceX successfully launched the Starship rocket on a new test flight. The rocket took off at 2:50 p.m. after a short delay, fulfilling all the set goals and impressing the team at SpaceX headquarters. Minutes after liftoff, the lower part of the rocket successfully landed in the sea for the first time, marking a significant achievement for the team.
SpaceX made several software and hardware upgrades to increase overall reliability and address lessons learned from previous flights. Operational changes were also implemented to ensure a smooth mission. The focus of the fourth test flight was to achieve orbit and demonstrate the ability to return and reuse the Starship and Super Heavy components.
The Super Heavy booster successfully landed on a receiving ship in the Gulf of Mexico after launching from Florida. However, the booster later tilted, overturned, and sank into the sea. Despite this setback, SpaceX considers the mission a success as the booster returned to Earth without any problems. As