SpaceX Starship IV sequence of events (IFT-4)

SpaceX

SpaceX Starship IV sequence of events (IFT-4)

SpaceX Starship IV sequence of events (IFT-4)

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IFT-4 SpaceX Starship progress

IFT-4 SpaceX Starship missions (Integrated Flight Test, IFT)

IFT-4 Live streams

IFT-4 Mission 

  • The fourth flight test of a fully integrated Starship.
  • Integrated Test Flight IFT-4 (OFT-4).

IFT-4 Scheduled

  • Launch date: 06-06-2024.

IFT-4 Updates

  • Several software and hardware upgrades have been made to increase overall reliability and address lessons learned from IFT-3.
  • The SpaceX team will also implement operational changes, including the jettison of the Super Heavy’s hot-stage following boostback to reduce booster mass for the final phase of flight.
  • New element in the sequence of events (after the boostback:) At T+00:03:54 Hot-stage jettison. Jettison of the Hot Stage Ring (HSR) to reduce mass during the landing balance.
  • Upgrades to prevent filter blockage.
  • Modification of the flight path to feature a hot stage ring jettison.
  • Ship flip maneuver.

IFT-4  Flight objectives

  • IFT-4 Closer to a rapidly reusable system.

  • IFT-4 Fly a similar trajectory as the previous flight test, with Starship targeted to splashdown in the Indian Ocean. This flight path does not require a deorbit burn for reentry.

  • IFT-4 Soft splashdown of B11 in the Gulf of Mexico. 20 km offshore simulating a landing back in the chopsticks.

  • IFT-4 Soft splashdown of S29 in the Indian Ocean. No recovery but will attempt a controlled reentry, reignition and flip.

IFT-4 Configuration

  • Super Heavy 11, Booster 11 (B11)
  • Starship SN29 (S29)

IFT-4 Launch location

IFT-4 Weather

IFT-4 Launch windows

  • Launch location: Boca Chica.
  • Launch window opens 06-06-2024 at 14:00 CEST.
  • Duration 120 minute.

IFT-4 Launch window 1 details (06-06-2024)

TimezoneGo for propellant load
(75 mins to Open)

Coverage
(30 mins to Open)

Window Open

Window Closed

CDT = CST (CT)

5.45 am

6.30 am

7.00 am

9.00 am

EDT = EST

6.45 am7.30 am8.00 am10.00 am
UTC = GMT = Zulu10:4511:3012:0014:00

CEST (Summer) 

12:4513:3014:0016:00

IFT-4 Time

*** Beyond this point all times are indicated in “T-Time”: ***

  • T- is countdown clock.
  • T-0 (or T-zero) is launch and start of mission clock.
  • T+ is mission clock.

IFT-4 T-01:45:00

IFT-4 Weather

IFT-4 T-01:30:00

IFT-4 Propellant loading timeline

  • T-01:15:00 Go for propellant load
  • Expected speed propellant load:
  • Density liquid Methane: 0.422 kg/L (upper tanks).
  • Density liquid Oxygen: 1.141 kg/L (lower tanks).
  • Total: 4,600 t (4,600,000 kg).
  • 115 t/min (1,92 t/sec).
  • Loading in 40 min max.
  • T-00:02:50 finished (booster propellant load complete)

IFT-4 T-01:15:00 until T-00:00:01 (actual))

IFT-4 Propellant load

  • T-01:15:00 SpaceX Flight Director conducts poll and verifies GO for propellant load
  • T-00:49:00 Ship fuel (liquid methane) load underway
  • T-00:47:00 Ship LOX (liquid oxygen) load underway
  • T-00:40:00 Booster fuel load underway
  • T-00:37:00 Booster LOX load underway
  • T-00:19:40 Raptor begins engine chill on booster and ship (frost and venting)
  • T-00:05:30 S 90% and B 88% loaded.
  • T-00:03:20 Ship propellant load complete
  • T-00:02:50 Booster propellant load complete
  • T-00:01:40 Propellant load complete 
  • T-00:01:00 Internal computers take over.
  • T-00:00:40 Possible hold
  • T-00:00:30 SpaceX flight director verifies GO for launch
  • T-00:00:05 Flame deflector activation (deluge)
  • T-00:00:03 Raptor ignition sequence begins (staged ignition)
  • T-00:00:01 OLM clamps open
  • T-00:00:00 Throttle up above 50%
  • T-00:00:01 As soon as thrust is higher than weight = Go

IFT-4 T+00:00:02 until landing (actual)

  • T+00:00:02 IFT-4 Liftoff
      • Actual: 32/33 Raptors running. Outer ring.
  • T+00:01:02 Booster Max Q (moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket) 
  • T+00:02:46 Booster grid fins rotating ahead of hot-staging
  • T+00:02:46 Booster MECO (most engines cut off)
  • T+00:02:54 Booster and Starship hot-staging
  • T+00:02:59 Booster grid fins rotating back
  • T+00:03:03 Booster boostback burn startup
  • T+00:03:57 Booster engines shutdown
  • T+00:03:59 Booster boostback burn shutdown (all engines).
  • T+00:04:10 Booster hot-staging ring jettison
  • T+00:06:39 Booster transonic
  • T+00:07:05 Booster landing-burn startup
    • Started with 9+3=12 of 13 engines. 9 stopped and the 3 center engines continued.
    • Simulated catch. Chop sticks at Boca Chica were moving at that very moment. No entry-burning this time. Splashdown.
    • Landing-burn was later than planned (?)
  • T+00:07:19 Booster the Gulf is visible
  • T+00:07:26 Booster hovering
  • T+00:07:38 Booster splash down
  • T+00:08:37 Starship engine cutoff
  • T+00:08:37 Starship coastal phase
  • T+00:44:50 Starship first plasma at 108 km altitude (belly first).
  • T+00:47:25 Starship entry. Flaps have control of the vehicle. From about 80 km altitude the flaps need to adjust the Starship. SpaceX wanted through peak-heating (experimental tiles) as a test. Data collection in stable altitude.
  • T+00:54:20 Starship Raptor chill underway (speed dropping)
  • T+00:55:00 Starship plasma building. A lot of movement around the ship (gas, sparks). Altitude  61 km. Critical is the joint between the flaps and the body heatshield. Could be a part of Raptor chill underway.
  • T+00:55:30 Starship flap movement. Still on a good trajectory.
  • T+00:56:44 Starship gas leaking near a flap.
  • T+00:57:15 Starship flap burning falls apart. Plasma getting in the joint. Flap stays attached (portion gone). Flap still Actuated at T+01:04:24. Starship grapics/telemetry still running.
  • T+01:00:44 Starship new hole burning om flap.
  • T+01:03:11 Starship transonic
  • T+01:04:44 Starship subsonic
  • T+01:05:41 Starship landing flip
  • T+01:05:43 Starship landing burn (not performed, no Raptors seen on telemetry)
  • T+01:06:06 Starship splashdown (and went for a moment up again)

IFT-4 Trajectory (planned, scheme)

Trajectory planned (scheme) IFT-4
IFT-4 Trajectory planned (scheme)

IFT-4 Telemetry first 10 minutes (actual trajectory profile, table)

06-06-2024

TimeBoosterBoosterBoosterStarshipStarshipStarshipRemarks
 enginesSpeedAltitudeSpeedAltitudeengines 
 running(km/h)(km)(km/h)(km)running 
T+00:00:00000000 
T+00:00:30324691469101 engine missing
T+00:01:003210128101280 
T+00:01:30321742181741180 
T+00:02:00323028333028330 
T+00:02:30324605544605540BEKO, Hot staging
T+00:03:00135424775588773+3 
T+00:03:30132407966228963+3 
T+00:04:000118510770631123+3 
T+00:04:30090810980921253+3Hot stage ring jettison
T+00:05:000152310393221343+3 
T+00:05:300242389107791403+3 
T+00:06:000340465125191443+3 
T+00:06:300436834145891463+3 
T+00:07:00018045170761463+3 
T+00:07:30000202521463+3T+00:07:13 Burn T+00:07:23 Splash
T+00:08:00   239151473+3 
T+00:08:30   261271503T+00:08:17 3 engines shut
T+00:09:00   264891530T+00:08:37 3 other engines shut
T+00:09:30   264741570 
T+00:10:00   264591600 

IFT-4 Telemetry last 25 minutes (actual trajectory profile)

06-06-2024

TimeBoosterBoosterBoosterStarshipStarshipStarshipRemarks
 enginesSpeedAltitudeSpeedAltitudeengines 
 running(km/h)(km)(km/h)(km)running 
T+00:41:00   265531390 
T+00:41:30   265711350 
T+00:42:00   265891310 
T+00:42:30   266081270 
T+00:43:00   266261230 
T+00:43:30   266451190 
T+00:44:00   266641150 
T+00:44:30   266821110 
T+00:45:00   267001070 
T+00:45:30   267181030First plasma
T+00:46:00   26735980 
T+00:46:30   26748940 
T+00:47:00   26756900 
T+00:47:30   26750860 
T+00:48:00   26717820 
T+00:48:30   26638780 
T+00:49:00   26470740 
T+00:49:30   26167720 
T+00:50:00   25723700 
T+00:50:30   25152690 
T+00:51:00   24565680 
T+00:51:30   24022680 
T+00:52:00   23534680 
T+00:52:30   23086680 
T+00:53:00   22660680 
T+00:53:30   22246680 
T+00:54:00   21805660 
T+00:54:30   21301650Light fire
T+00:55:00   20673630Light fire and sparks
T+00:55:30   19867610Lot of sparks
T+00:56:00   19084590Fire and sparks
T+00:56:30   18141580Fire and sparks
T+00:57:00   17187570Fire and sparks
T+00:57:30   16205560Fire on fin joint
T+00:58:00   15236550Fire on fin joint, parts fall off
T+00:58:30   14195530Fin transparant
T+00:59:00   13090530Camera blocked by debris
T+00:59:30   11910490Camera cracked
T+01:00:00   10673470 
T+01:00:30   9363450Light point seen
T+01:01:00   8004430 
T+01:01:30   6566400Light point getting larger
T+01:02:00   5050370 
T+01:02:30   3458320Orientation still up
T+01:03:00   2117270Orientation sideways
T+01:03:30   1081200Orientation down (to Earth)
T+01:04:00   708140Orientation down but moving
T+01:04:30   56280Orientation sideways
T+01:05:00   45640Orientation sideways
T+01:05:30   36810Orientation above horizontal
T+01:06:00   2900Hovering? No engines lit.

IFT-4 Evaluation

IFT-4 Full stack positive

  • Launch in the first available window.

IFT-4 Full stack negative

  • None

IFT-4 Booster positive

  • Soft landing in the Gulf of Mexico as planned.
  • 22-09-2024 Remains of B11 recovered after IFT-4.

IFT-4 Booster negative

  • None

IFT-4 Starship positive

  • No issues until descent.

IFT-4 Starship negative

  • No video connection during a large part of the coasting phase while telemetry continued (at the public channel).
  • Flap failure by plasma.

Next steps

 
Up

Footnotes

  • Internal: funkystuff.org, 
  • Outgoing: Mahler Foundation, NOS, 
  • Keywords: SpaceX Starship IV sequence of events. IFT-4, test 4, TF4, SpaceX 4, SpaceX IV, SpaceX-4, SpaceX4, OTF4, OTF-4.

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