It's a significant achievement for the vehicle, which is key to NASA's Artemis program.
Share on linkedin Space X Starship stacked for its fourth flight test at Boca Chica beach on June 5 in Brownsville, Texas. Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty ImagesStarship and its massive reusable booster both successfully made their first controlled water landing during a fourth flight test on Thursday.the company's Starship and Super Heavy booster weren't able to pull off controlled landings, which are crucial for returning astronauts to the Moon.
As Starship returned to Earth, a sheath of extremely hot plasma formed around the spacecraft, which burned through some heat shield tiles and other components of the craft. Despite the plasma, which can disrupt communication with spacecraft, SpaceX maintained steady communication with Starship, giving impressive views of its fiery descent."Despite loss of many tiles and a damaged flap, Starship made it all the way to a soft landing in the ocean!" SpaceX owner Elon MuskIn Starship's third test, the vehicle was supposed to attempt a controlled splashdown but it did not survive reentry.
The company took lessons from the third test and made software and hardware upgrades to the Starship and Super Heavy, while the SpaceX team also made operational changes.Share on facebook
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