SpaceX Starship's fourth test flight today: How to watch livestream
What's the story
SpaceX is preparing for the fourth test flight of its Starship rocket, scheduled for 5:00pm IST today.
The launch will take place from SpaceX's Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted the launch license on Tuesday, allowing the 400-foot-tall megarocket to be launched for the fourth time.
You can watch the livestream on SpaceX's official account on X.
Mission objectives
Fourth Starship test flight aims for reusability
The fourth test flight's main focus is to demonstrate reusability by returning both stages of the rocket to Earth.
The primary objectives include executing a landing burn and soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico with the first-stage booster called Super Heavy, and achieving a controlled re-entry of upper-stage spacecraft, also called Starship.Musk stated, "The main goal of this mission is to get much deeper into the atmosphere during reentry, ideally through max heating."
Trajectory details
Flight trajectory and SpaceX's vision for Starship
The flight trajectory will be similar to previous tests, with a splashdown targeted for the Indian Ocean after reentering without performing a deorbit burn.
This decision was made to maximize public safety while still meeting primary reentry objectives.
Each test flight provides invaluable data as SpaceX continues its pursuit of a fully reusable transportation system capable of carrying crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
Future plans
Starship's crucial role in NASA's Artemis 3 mission
This test flight is pivotal for SpaceX's ongoing development of Starship, which is slated to land humans on the Moon as part of NASA's planned Artemis 3 mission in September 2026.
To enhance reliability, several upgrades have been implemented based on insights from previous flights.
These include software improvements, hardware changes, and operational adjustments.