In preparation for Starship's fourth test launch (IFT-4), SpaceX has stacked the upper stage named ship 29 on top of the Super Heavy Booster named B11. This was done using the 'Mechazilla' tower, and the event was shared by Elon Musk on social media.
image credit SpaceX
The recent activities with Ship 29 include a full-duration static fire of all six Raptor engines, followed by a second static fire test with a single engine to simulate in-space burn. These tests are crucial for ensuring the readiness of the spacecraft for its upcoming mission.
Following its rollout, Booster 11 too has been subjected to a rigorous testing regime, including two cryogenic proof tests at the cryostation in October 2023. These tests were succeeded by a series of static fire tests, which are critical for assessing the performance of the booster’s 33 Raptor engines. The engine testing campaign is particularly significant as it is expected to include a 33 engine static fire, mirroring the comprehensive testing undertaken by Booster 10 which performed as per the expectations of SpaceX engineers during its momentus flight.
The IFT-4 is expected to be a crucial test for SpaceX, as the previous three flights ended in explosions. However, the third flight was notably the most successful, with Starship reaching its farthest distance yet. The upcoming test objectives for IFT-4 include having the Super Heavy booster simulate a landing at a "virtual tower" just above the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, and for Starship to relight its Raptor engines in space as well as survive peak heating during atmospheric re-entry.
SpaceX's Starship rocket will launch in June, according to its head of Starbase operations, Kathy Leuders. According to her, the FAA's launch license should come by the end of this month, around the Memorial Day weekend. After it secures a launch license, SpaceX will be free to launch Starship, and Leuders
shared, "We're getting ready to do our stacked test and our wet dresses river the next few weeks. And then hopefully right after the Memorial day weekend or close to it we'll get our FAA license and we'll be ready for our next Starship launch."
At the time of writing this article, SpaceX has begun a partial wet dress rehearsal/tanking test of Starship's full stack. Ground Support Equipments (GSE) were seen venting liquid oxygen and methane. At the same time, booster and ship were seen with frost rings indicating the active tanking process.
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