# Ship 29

> Starship spacecraft, signal lost after successful water landing during Starship Flight 4

**Wikidata**: [Q126409940](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q126409940)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starship_Ship_29)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/ship-29

## Summary
Ship 29 was a SpaceX Starship spacecraft designated as a "former entity" after completing the fourth integrated Starship flight test on June 6, 2024. While the vehicle successfully achieved a splashdown in the Indian Ocean, contact was lost shortly after landing.

## Key Facts
- **Classification:** Starship spacecraft (instance of: Starship, former entity).
- **Operator/Manufacturer:** SpaceX.
- **Serial Number:** 29 (also known as S29, SN29, Starship 29).
- **Mission:** Starship Flight Test 4 (launched June 6, 2024).
- **Launch Partner:** Super Heavy Booster 11.
- **Launch Site:** Orbital Launch Pad 1.
- **Splashdown:** Successfully landed in the Indian Ocean at 13:55:57 on June 6, 2024.
- **Final Status:** Signal lost at 13:56:06 on June 6, 2024, shortly after landing.
- **Succession:** Preceded by Ship 28; succeeded by Ship 30.

## FAQs
### Q: What was the outcome of Ship 29's flight?
A: Ship 29 successfully performed a water landing (splashdown) in the Indian Ocean on June 6, 2024. However, the signal was lost approximately nine seconds after landing.

### Q: When did Ship 29 launch?
A: Ship 29 launched on June 6, 2024, at 12:50:00 UTC from Orbital Launch Pad 1.

### Q: What rocket was used for Ship 29?
A: Ship 29 was launched atop Super Heavy Booster 11 as part of the Starship Flight Test 4.

## Why It Matters
Ship 29 represents a critical milestone in the SpaceX Starship development program, specifically regarding orbital reentry and landing capabilities. As the upper stage for the fourth integrated flight test, its mission demonstrated the spacecraft's ability to survive reentry and perform a controlled splashdown, a significant improvement over the fate of its predecessor, Ship 28, which was lost during a reentry attempt.

The flight provided essential data on the thermal protection systems and landing maneuvers required for future fully reusable spacecraft. Although the vehicle ceased functioning (loss of signal) shortly after landing—classified as a "former entity" effective June 6, 2024—the successful wet landing validated key engineering objectives for the Starship program. This mission paved the way for subsequent tests, including Ship 30, which eventually achieved similar landing success before being terminated.

## Notable For
- **Successful Splashdown:** Achieved a soft water landing in the Indian Ocean, marking a successful conclusion to the flight phase of the test.
- **Flight Test 4:** Served as the upper stage vehicle for the fourth integrated flight test (IFT-4).
- **Reentry Survival:** Unlike Ship 28, which was lost during reentry, Ship 29 survived the descent to the ocean surface.
- **Rapid Turnaround Context:** Part of the sequential testing campaign (Ship 28 -> Ship 29 -> Ship 30) aimed at rapid iteration of the Starship platform.

## Body

### Specifications and Identity
Ship 29 (aliases: S29, SN29, Starship 29) was a reusable spacecraft manufactured and operated by SpaceX in the United States. It belonged to the Starship class of vehicles. The spacecraft was assigned serial number 29.

### Mission History
Ship 29 flew as part of **Starship Flight Test 4** on **June 6, 2024**.

*   **Launch:** The vehicle lifted off at 12:50:00 from Orbital Launch Pad 1, stacked on Super Heavy Booster 11.
*   **Splashdown:** The spacecraft successfully touched down in the Indian Ocean at 13:55:57 on the same date.
*   **Loss of Signal:** Communication with the vehicle was lost nine seconds after splashdown at 13:56:06.
*   **Dissolution:** Based on flight data, the entity is recorded as dissolved or demolished on June 6, 2024.

### Fleet Context
Ship 29 occupied a specific place in the SpaceX Starship testing timeline:
*   **Preceded by:** Ship 28 (lost during reentry attempt).
*   **Succeeded by:** Ship 30 (terminated after successful water landing during Flight Test 5).

## Schema Markup
```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Thing",
  "name": "Ship 29",
  "description": "A SpaceX Starship spacecraft that successfully splashed down in the Indian Ocean during Flight Test 4 before losing signal on June 6, 2024.",
  "sameAs": [
    "https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:SpaceX_Starship_S29",
    "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starship_Ship_29"
  ],
  "additionalType": "Starship"
}

## References

1. Jonathan's Space Report
2. [Source](https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1OwxWYzDXjWGQ)