Elon Musk’s SpaceX was preparing on Friday, November 13, to conduct its latest test of the world’s largest and most powerful rocket, Starship, planning to carry out a groundbreaking "catch" of the spacecraft after a day in orbit. UNN reports this, citing AFP.
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The successful capture of Starship’s upper stage would mark a significant milestone in the space industry’s years-long pursuit of a fully reusable spacecraft that could substantially reduce mission costs and make frequent travel possible.
"If successful, this will be the first complete return of an orbital launch system and a breakthrough moment in creating a reliable, rapidly reusable Starship rocket," SpaceX said.
As part of Starship’s 15th test flight on Friday, SpaceX plans to return both stages of the massive 124-meter launch vehicle.
The company has already caught the booster, known as Super Heavy, three times, with the first stage descending vertically back to the launch site shortly after liftoff and being placed in mechanical "chopstick arms."
Now the company will attempt to do the same with the spacecraft. Some versions of the vehicle are designed to launch internet satellites and data centers into orbit, while others will be intended to transport people to the Moon and Mars.
A fully reusable spacecraft is the "Holy Grail" of the space industry, said Clayton Swope, an aerospace expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
"So far, no one has managed to do this," he said.
Friday’s launch is scheduled for 16:45 (00:45 on November 14 Kyiv time) from SpaceX’s Starbase in southern Texas.
After liftoff and the separation of the two stages in midair, SpaceX plans to return Super Heavy to Earth six and a half minutes later, catching it at the launch site on the Gulf Coast.
The spacecraft will continue toward Earth orbit, where it will deploy 26 satellites in Musk’s Starlink internet-satellite constellation, which has become SpaceX’s main source of revenue.
It will then make 14 orbits around the planet before returning 22 hours later and, as SpaceX hopes, safely descending into the "chopstick arms."
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