Spacex Plans First Starship Upper-stage Catch On Next Flight
SpaceX plans to catch both stages of Starship on its next test flight, an attempt that could mark the first full recovery of an orbital launch vehicle.
SpaceX plans to try catching both stages of its Starship rocket on its next test flight, which could take place as soon as November. The attempt would be the company’s first to catch the upper stage, known as Ship, after it has previously caught the Super Heavy booster. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk outlined the plan during a company earnings call, according to Engadget and The Verge.
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How SpaceX plans to make the catch
A simulation shown during the earnings call depicted Ship returning to a launch tower, where mechanical arms nicknamed “chopsticks” would catch it, Engadget reported. SpaceX has used those arms to catch Super Heavy before, but has not yet tried to catch Ship. Engadget identifies the upcoming launch as Starship’s 15th flight test.
Recovering Ship presents a different challenge from recovering the booster. Engadget notes that the upper stage travels higher and farther, moves faster, and takes much longer to return. On the previous flight, Super Heavy came back within minutes of launch, while Ship remained aloft for hours.
What happened on the previous flight
Neither stage was recovered on the last test flight. According to The Verge, Super Heavy splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico, while Ship made a de-orbit burn before splashing down vertically in the Pacific Ocean north of Hawaii. Engadget identifies that mission as Flight 14.
The Verge reports that the flight put Ship into Earth orbit and deployed a few dozen of SpaceX’s V3 Starlink satellites. Its planned 10-hour, six-orbit mission was shortened to about three hours and two orbits. The outlets describe the engine issue differently: The Verge says a Raptor engine shut down prematurely during ascent and mission control continued the climb using the remaining engines; Engadget says a malfunction in one of Ship’s engines led SpaceX to cut the trip short.
Why the attempt matters
Starship is designed to be fully and rapidly reusable, with the ability to carry crew and cargo to the moon and Mars, Engadget reports. Catching both stages would advance that goal, but the result is uncertain. Musk said success on the next flight was “more likely than not,” while cautioning that it was not guaranteed, according to The Verge.
Musk also said that, if the attempt succeeds, it would be the first full recovery of an orbital launch vehicle, The Verge reported. If it fails, he said SpaceX has further Starship flight attempts planned through the end of the year and expects their pace to increase next year.
Sources
This story was compiled by AI from the reports below. Read the originals for the full details.