SpaceX tests full rocket recovery
The company plans to catch both stages of its massive Starship system using mechanical arms during a 22-hour orbital flight.
By Jack Thompson ·
The Federal Aviation Administration granted final approval just hours before the scheduled launch on Friday afternoon. SpaceX is preparing to send its Starship vehicle into orbit for a 22-hour test flight. The mission aims to recapture the entire rocket system, marking the first time a launch vehicle has been fully retrieved from orbit for reuse.
SpaceX intends to perform a double catch. The 236-foot booster will return to the Starbase pad in Texas approximately six minutes after liftoff. The 171-foot spacecraft will reenter the atmosphere and steer back to the same site the following day. Mechanical arms attached to the launch tower are designed to grab both stages as they descend.
Kiko Dontchev, the company's vice president of launch, described the engineering feat as incredibly exciting. He stated that success would allow for the fast and consistent launch rates necessary for building moon bases and sending people to Mars. Dontchev noted that the team is still throwing away the second stage on Falcon rockets, but Starship will catch both stages.
The spacecraft will deliver 26 Starlink satellites once in orbit. It is planned to complete 15 laps around the world at an altitude of roughly 170 miles. The flight represents the first attempt to capture the production model of the rocket, which stands 407 feet tall when fully assembled.
SpaceX has previously captured boosters three times at Starbase. This is the first time the company will attempt to catch the upgraded booster version and the spacecraft. In the past 14 flights, the spacecraft portion ended in the ocean, either by design or due to engine failures. The September test was the first to reach orbit, but no recovery attempt was made.
NASA is paying SpaceX to land Artemis astronauts on the moon. The agency expects to decide a year before the Artemis IV mission whether to use Starship or Blue Origin's Blue Moon for the lunar landing. During the Artemis III mission next summer, astronauts will practice docking with both vehicles in Earth orbit. This sets the stage for a potential moon touchdown as early as 2028.
SpaceX plans to begin launching Starships from Florida within a few months. Louisiana launches are expected in a few years. Dontchev said that scaled infrastructure and full reusability are the path to increasing launch frequencies from 10 to 100,000 over time.
