The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a launch license to SpaceX for the Starship Flight 4 test mission. The launch is currently scheduled for Thursday, June 6. The launch will take place from the SpaceX Starbase near Boca Chica Beach in South Texas.
«SpaceX meets all safety and other license requirements for this test flight», the FAA said in a statement.
As the name implies, SpaceX’s Starship Flight 4 mission is the fourth test flight of the Starship and Super Heavy. When fully assembled, they stand nearly 400 feet (about 122 m) tall and are the largest and most powerful rocket in the world.
SpaceX has developed Starship as a fully reusable, ultra-heavy-lift launch system for missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond. NASA’s Artemis program, for example, has selected Starship as the lander to deliver Artemis 3 astronauts to the south pole of the Moon in 2026.
But before Starship can fly to the moon, SpaceX has to prove that its shiny stainless steel rocket can reach orbit.
To date, the company has performed three test launches:
- an unsuccessful debut in April 2023, which destroyed the SpaceX launch pad as well as the rocket;
- the second flight in November 2023, during which the rocket failed to reach space;
- The last launch of Starship Flight 3 on March 18, 2024, was more successful, and the rocket was able to reach space for the first time However, in the end, the rocket and its super-heavy booster were lost before reaching their final targets.
Now SpaceX has high expectations for the fourth test launch, which is scheduled for 15:00 Kyiv time. A 120-minute window will be available for the launch.
Source: space
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