SpaceX catches Starship from space for the first time ever
SpaceX's Starship was caught by giant mechanical arms as it returned from orbit, the first-ever capture of a Starship.
Reported by The Sydney Morning Herald
ShareWhy it matters
Full reuse of spacecraft cuts launch costs dramatically, making frequent trips to the moon and Mars far more affordable.
In Australia. No direct Australian effect yet, but success brings closer the moon landings and Mars missions that will involve international partnerships.
Key facts
- 124 metres
- Starship height
- 26 Starlink satellites
- Satellites deployed
- 14
- Orbits completed
- 265 kilometres
- Altitude during mission
- The spacecraft touched down on Saturday (US time) at Cape Canaveral after a 22-hour mission, lowered upright onto the launch pad by robotic arms.
- Starship was a first: no Starship had ever been caught returning from space before.
- The booster failed during the attempt, it exploded shortly after launch, so SpaceX fell short of its goal of catching both stages.
- Starship's upper stage success proved the tech works.
- Starship soared into orbit, deployed 26 Starlink satellites, and completed 14 orbits while streaming live video back to Earth.
- The 124-metre rocket is the world's largest and most powerful.
- NASA is paying billions for Starship to land astronauts on the moon in the late 2020s and help build a permanent base there.
- Musk wants to use it to build a city on Mars.
