SpaceX catches its Starship spacecraft in mid-air for the first time
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Al Jazeera, BFMTV and Vanguard
SpaceX has successfully caught Starship’s upper stage in mid-air for the first time using the mechanical arms at its Texas base. After more than 22 hours in flight and 14 orbits of the Earth, the spacecraft returned to Starbase, where it was also welcomed by company officials. According to Al Jazeera, the achievement brings SpaceX closer to its goal of a fully reusable space system.
The Starship spacecraft deployed 26 Starlink satellites into orbit before returning to Starbase, where it was caught at around 3.20 pm local time. The manoeuvre was particularly complex because its re-entry speed and altitude were greater than those of the boosters SpaceX has already recovered on three occasions.
The return required a carefully calculated trajectory over Texas, with a wide final loop around the Rio Grande Valley before approaching from the east. Spectators gathered near the Gulf of Mexico applauded the capture, while SpaceX spokesperson Dan Huot described it as the « Holy Grail » of spaceflight.
Aerospace expert Clayton Swope said the achievement demonstrated the feasibility of the concept of a fully reusable spacecraft. NASA also plans to use Starship as a lunar lander for its Artemis programme, and its administrator Jared Isaacman congratulated SpaceX after the flight.
The Super Heavy booster could not be recovered after a technical problem during its descent and self-destructed before falling into the Gulf of Mexico. SpaceX still needs to resolve issues including fuel transfer in orbit for missions to the Moon and Mars. The company says it can now produce one Starship every two weeks and one booster every four weeks.
