SpaceX is planning to take its Starship catch one step further very soon, CEO Elon Musk confirmed on Tuesday.
On Sunday, SpaceX accomplished the unheard-of maneuver of catching Starship’s first-stage booster, known as Super Heavy, back on the launch tower, which is known as Mechazilla.
SpaceX aces fifth Starship test flight with successful Super Heavy booster catch
In the past four Starship test launches, SpaceX has not attempted to catch the first stage, so this was truly unprecedented, considering it was the first attempt. It passed the test with flying colors.
The catch means SpaceX will be able to bring back boosters for more than one use, making them recyclable for future launches and potentially enabling a more streamlined approach to future takeoffs.
Elon Musk reveals when SpaceX Starship will go to Mars for first time
However, there are plenty of things SpaceX wants to do before it starts test flights to Mars in 2026. One of these things is taking the catch maneuver one step further.
Musk wants to attempt to catch both the booster and the upper stage, or Starship itself, sometime next year, he confirmed in a post on X:
Hopefully early next year, we will catch the ship too
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 15, 2024
The move would be completely unprecedented, especially if can pull this feat off on its first try, like it did with the attempt this past weekend.
It would be yet another factor in moving plans to eventually transport humans to Mars forward. Starship is geared to be reusable, and the 400-foot-tall rocket being caught would truly be a marvel of modern engineering and space travel.
The past two Starship test launches, meaning IFT-4 and IFT-5, were total successes. Everything the company set out to accomplish with the launches took place with no real caveats.
The goals of the latest launch were to catch the first stage and have Starship’s upper stage successfully and safely splashdown in the Indian Ocean. Both things occurred without incident.
SpaceX is already gearing up for IFT-6, as the company has already performed a successful engine static fire on the Flight 6 Starship. This occurred on September 19.
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