SpaceX Flies IFT-4, Achieves Super Heavy, Starship Controlled Splashdowns

$Tesla(TSLA.US)$ $BYD COMPANY(01211.HK)$ $NIO Inc(NIO.US)$ $XPeng(XPEV.US)$ SpaceX dramatically launched its fourth Integrated Flight Test (IFT-4) of a fully stacked Starship/Super Heavy combo out of Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, on Thursday. IFT-4 ticked off a set of important milestones for the program, including the first controlled splashdown of a Super Heavy booster and the first successful re-entry and controlled splashdown of the Starship.

Next up, IFT-5 later this summer—and perhaps as soon as late June—may attempt the program’s first “Tower Catch” of the Super Heavy. Recovering the booster via mechanized arms (dubbed “Mechazilla”) on the Starbase launch tower, rather than touching down via landing legs as does the Falcon 9, favorably serves to reduce mass and part counts.

My Take: NASA selected SpaceX to develop Starship Human Landing System (HLS) for use on the Artemis 3 Lunar Mission. In January 2024, NASA officially delayed Artemis 3 to no earlier than September 2026. Elon Musk (EM) is the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX. The success of IFT-4 also boosts confidence that EM and his team in Tesla can develop the company into a leading Tech company not just a car marker. It is no secret that SpaceX and Tesla shared state-of-the-art technology.