SpaceX catches Starship on launch tower in world-first recovery
SpaceX caught Starship on its launch tower in a world-first after orbiting Earth 14 times.
Why it matters
This catch is the next step toward Musk's goal of making rockets fully reusable.
In Australia. Advances in reusable rockets could eventually lower the cost of launching Australian satellites and research into space.
Key facts
- Texas
- Launch location
- 26
- Starlink satellites deployed
- 14
- Earth orbits completed
- Over 22 hours
- Flight duration
- Starship 42 launched from Texas on Friday and deployed 26 Starlink satellites.
- It fired engines to begin the trip home.
- The spacecraft slowed from some 27,000 kilometres per hour to a supersonic dive.
- Then it reignited three engines.
- It flipped vertical and steered toward the launch tower.
- Two mechanical 'chopstick' arms caught the hovering spacecraft and held it to the pad.
- The flight lasted over 22 hours and orbited Earth 14 times.
- The Super Heavy booster, which carries Starship to space, failed to return some 10 minutes after lift-off.
- Elon Musk wants Starship to fly like airplanes, carrying humans to the Moon and Mars.
