SpaceX Starship 5 Launch Date and Objectives

SpaceX is preparing for the Starship Test Flight 5 and the success of the third flight has now paved a fast launch date. The company is aiming to achieve new objectives with this mission and here you can learn more about this upcoming flight.

Launched on June 6, Starship 4 cleared liftoff, full-duration engine burn, stage separation, and booster landing in the ocean. On the other hand, Starship flew through space and endured the reentry phase. Following the peak heat, the ship flip-maneuvered and performed a landing on the splash zone.

FAA

A major factor in launch delay has been caused by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the past three flights. Each of those missions has caught system or vehicle failure after liftoff. Unlike those, Starship Flight 4 has completed all of the milestones without suffering from any damage.

As a result, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is not conducting a mishap investigation for the fourth mission revealing an email inquiry from X user @sawyermerritt.

“The FAA is not requiring an investigation. The FAA assessed the operation of the SpaceX Starship Flight 4 mission. All flight events for both the Starship vehicle and the Super Heavy booster appear to have occurred within the score of planned and authorized activities” replied FAA.

That means the Starship 5 may not have a big problem getting a fast license for this new test.

Objectives For Flight 5:

For the first time, SpaceX will aim to land the Super Heavy booster on the launch tower and catch it with chopsticks. It has been preparing to perform this maneuver for the past few months.

On the other hand, Starship will have to go through the high heat with new heat shield tiles. Then it will perform a targeted landing in the sea. Unfortunately, Starship will not be landing on the tower this time.

Launch Date

Update – August 3, 2024: SpaceX has updated its launch forecast for this flight test and it could now be delayed to 2-3 weeks. It means the new launch date for Starship 5 may be in late August or early September. The company is also taking this step to test new changes in the heat shield and Starship spacecraft’s engine.

Previous Launch Date Speculation

Starship 5 has been under testing since last month, the company has already static-fired the spacecraft and next, it will perform the same test on the Super Heavy booster.

In June, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said the next Starship will be launch-ready within a month. Mixing all this information, we can expect this new ship to fly somewhere in late July. For now, there’s no official announcement made on this matter.