In a riveting display of technological prowess, SpaceX's Starship embarked on its nail-biting fourth test flight, marking another milestone for the world's most powerful rocket. On June 6, at precisely 8:50 a.m. EDT (1250 GMT), the towering 400-foot-tall (122 meters) spacecraft soared into the skies from its Starbase launch site near Boca Chica Beach in South Texas, casting a thundering pillar of fire in its wake.

The mission carried two primary objectives: executing a soft splashdown of Starship's first-stage booster, known as Super Heavy, in the Gulf of Mexico, and achieving a controlled reentry of the 165-foot-tall (50 m) upper stage, aptly named Starship or Ship. Spectators at SpaceX's mission control were swept into a frenzy of excitement as both the Super Heavy booster and Ship gracefully landed in the water, eliciting cheers of triumph.

Dan Huot, SpaceX spokesperson, described the electrifying scene at mission control in Hawthorne, California, stating, "This whole building was going absolutely insane. When we saw the booster hit the water, I mean, wow."

Elon Musk, the visionary behind SpaceX, expressed his delight on X (formerly Twitter), proclaiming, "Successful soft landing of the Starship Super Heavy rocket booster!" The accomplishment underscored the remarkable progress of SpaceX's ambitious endeavors.

Despite a tense moment during descent, with one of Ship's flaps visibly sustaining burn-through damage, the spacecraft executed its landing burn flawlessly. Live camera footage captured the intense heat shield burn-off, momentarily obstructing the view before ultimately cracking the lens.

Boca Chica, USA - June 6, 2024

In a riveting display of technological prowess, SpaceX's Starship embarked on its nail-biting fourth test flight, marking another milestone for the world's most powerful rocket. On June 6, at precisely 8:50 a.m. EDT (1250 GMT), the towering 400-foot-tall (122 meters) spacecraft soared into the skies from its Starbase launch site near Boca Chica Beach in South Texas, casting a thundering pillar of fire in its wake.

The mission carried two primary objectives: executing a soft splashdown of Starship's first-stage booster, known as Super Heavy, in the Gulf of Mexico, and achieving a controlled reentry of the 165-foot-tall (50 m) upper stage, aptly named Starship or Ship. Spectators at SpaceX's mission control were swept into a frenzy of excitement as both the Super Heavy booster and Ship gracefully landed in the water, eliciting cheers of triumph.

Dan Huot, SpaceX spokesperson, described the electrifying scene at mission control in Hawthorne, California, stating, "This whole building was going absolutely insane. When we saw the booster hit the water, I mean, wow."

Elon Musk, the visionary behind SpaceX, expressed his delight on X (formerly Twitter), proclaiming, "Successful soft landing of the Starship Super Heavy rocket booster!" The accomplishment underscored the remarkable progress of SpaceX's ambitious endeavors.

Despite a tense moment during descent, with one of Ship's flaps visibly sustaining burn-through damage, the spacecraft executed its landing burn flawlessly. Live camera footage captured the intense heat shield burn-off, momentarily obstructing the view before ultimately cracking the lens.