Launch

With IFT4, Starship Marks an Impressive Double Return

Published on 06 June 2024

During a fourth IFT4 test flight on June 6, SpaceX's gigantic launcher managed a return from the first Super Heavy stage in the Gulf of Mexico while the second stage Starship (or Ship) survived a return to the Indian Ocean.

After a first test flight called Integrated Flight Test 1 (IFT1) on April 20, 2023, which saw the loss of several first-stage propellers and then the destruction of the launcher after less than three minutes of ascent, the Starship showed clear progress for IFT2 on November 18, 2023 and IFT3 on March 14, 2023.

However, finalising a fully controlled return of the first Super Heavy stage in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico as well as seeing the second stage Starship survive its atmospheric re-entry were announced objectives for IFT4, the fourth test flight.

A First Return to the Gulf of Mexico

The 33 Raptor engines of the first stage Super Heavy ignited at 7:50 a.m. local Texas time in Boca Chica where SpaceX is testing its giant 5000-ton, 121 m high launcher (the largest ever designed). Very quickly, one of them died, but did not prevent the continuation of the ascent. The separation of the Super Heavy and the second stage Starship (also called Ship) in hot staging mode went as expected and the dropping of an additional specific ring (a novelty compared to IFT3) at the top of the Super Heavy was not a concern.

Take-off of the Starship, June, 6th.

Time of Super Heavy’s arrival in the Gulf of Mexico.

Above all, the first stage this time controlled its descent to the Gulf of Mexico and touched the waters after turning on part of its propulsion again. Declared successful by SpaceX, this manoeuvre prepares for the even more daring one during which the 71 m high Super Heavy will return to land on its launch pad, caught in flight by the moving arms of the launch tower!

The Incredible Return of the Ship

Another desired return: that of the Ship. During flight IFT3, it was destroyed at an altitude of 65 km. A little more than 40 minutes after the flight, the second stage of IFT4 began to re-enter the atmosphere, with images from the outdoor cameras showing the plasma (hot air) forming around the vessel. This time, the Ship was flying in a much more stable manner, but returning to Earth over the Indian Ocean did indeed generate a great deal of suspense

Plasma forms on the belly of the Starship.

The starship fin which suffered a lot during re-entry!

“What’s Left of The Ship?”

One of the cameras indeed detailed the obvious erosion of one of the fins, pieces of which were gradually torn off because of the plasma.

One of the live SpaceX commentators did not lack humour and even commented, “What is left of the ship?”

While each cut or black screen raised fears of a loss of the Ship, we witnessed an incredible series of images, although unclear, showing a fin stump while the spacecraft completed its vertical turn, turned on its propulsion for a final braking and touched the waters of the Indian Ocean!

SpaceX, shortly after, confirmed the success of these manoeuvres without specifying the condition of the spacecraft and stressing that the important thing was in the data acquired.

One of the last images of the fin as the Ship touched the Indian Ocean.

To conclude, the commentators heat a marshmallow… “SpaceX style” publicity really is quite different!

IFT5 with a Return of the Super Heavy to Boca Chica?

This IFT4 flight will probably raise varied assessments in view of the fact that no stage was recovered while the Starship is intended to be fully reusable. IFT4 was, however, another test flight and not an inaugural flight like that of Ariane 6 announced for July 9.

In any case, the teams of the American firm seemed enthusiastic. The two commentators even concluded the live broadcast by heating a marshmallow with a blowtorch with an image of the Starship on it in front of the camera! In a tweet, Elon Musk said he was thinking about bringing the Super Heavy back to its launchpad to catch it in the arms of the launch tower on the next IFT5 test flight.