[rocket, Photo Credit to Pixabay]

On June 6, SpaceX’s starship rocket safely landed in the Indian Ocean.

The rocket completed a full test mission around the globe, and the landing demonstration finally succeeded after the fourth try.

The trial around the globe lasted a total of 65 minutes after launching, which started in Texas.

Prior to this test were three test missions which included a Starship rocket either exploding or falling apart.

The first launch dates back to April 2023, when the spacecraft exploded within minutes after liftoff.

The second launch, which took place in November, proceeded a bit longer but burst apart as it reached space.

The third trial in March showed great progress.

However, on the way back, the spacecraft broke apart in the process of reentering the atmosphere.

Thus, the fourth trial showed great technological innovation, with the Starship rocket overcoming the past challenges and succeeding in landing.

Specifically, during the test flight, the booster rocket successfully propelled the spacecraft before descending gently into the sea 7 minutes and 30 seconds after launch.

This controlled landing was facilitated by the booster rocket’s maneuvering fins, ensuring a soft splashdown without impact.

While most rockets are designed to burn upon reentry, SpaceX rockets succeeded in not only withstanding reentry but also successfully landing back on Earth, and flying once again.

This was possible as the rocket was partly covered with hundreds of small black tiles which are designed to protect the rocket from the extreme heat encountered when it dives through the Earth’s atmosphere.

Elon Musk thus declared the successful landing to be a momentous day for the future of humanity.

However, even the fourth trial was imperfect, with bits of metals on the exterior and parts of the rocket’s steering flaps breaking apart severely due to atmospheric friction.

Behind SpaceX’s success is NASA’s big plan.

They aim to return astronauts to the moon in 2026, being the first since 1972 and beating the rivalry against China, which plans to send its astronauts by 2030.

Despite the success, the development of Starship has been slower than Musk expected.

A Japanese billionaire, who paid to fly the Starship around the moon in 2018, canceled his flight due the uncertainties regarding flight safety.

More tests regarding the landing process are expected to follow up, as Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, is planning at least six Starship test flights to demonstrate its safety.

SpaceX’s Starship is being considered to potentially be used for future Mars missions, given its relatively cheap cost.

The spacecraft is designed to be fully reusable, thus the launch costs are reduced by up to 15 times with less materials wasted.

The United States continues to reduce space exploration costs by funding private companies, like SpaceX, to develop technologies that will have positive effects on the military and related economic sectors.

The global space industry, which is currently valued at around 423.8 billion U.S. dollars, is expected to rise in value up to 1.8 trillion dollars by 2035, reflecting the expanding economic importance of space activities.