SpaceX Received Permission For The Fourth Starship Launch
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that it has issued a permit to SpaceX for a test launch of Starship. The Starship Flight 4 mission is scheduled to take place on June 6. The FAA said the company met all requirements to ensure a safe launch. Moreover, the parties agreed to carry out the majority of all subsequent launches without unnecessary paperwork – as soon as the missiles are ready.
Starship is the largest launch vehicle in history. Its weight when fueled is about 5 thousand tons, its height is 121 meters. It consists of the Super Heavy accelerator (first stage) and the Starship spacecraft itself. Both system components are reusable and designed for a soft landing.
The key task of the fourth flight is to successfully complete the atmospheric reentry phase and test the Starship’s thermal protection. The flight plan assumes that the ship will enter the atmosphere over the Indian Ocean, make a controlled descent, gradually reduce its speed, and then carry out a gentle splashdown using the engines. As for the Super Heavy booster, it will also try to splash down in the Gulf of Mexico.
Receiving approval from the FAA lifted the last restriction before the new flight.
