SpaceX Aims to Catch Starship and Its Booster in Historic Recovery Attempt
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced that the company will attempt to catch both the Starship spacecraft and its Super Heavy booster mid-flight next month. If successful, this would mark the first time an orbital launch vehicle has been fully recovered during a mission. During his third-quarter earnings report, Musk acknowledged the risk of failure but expressed optimism about success on the upcoming flight. The two-stage Starship system is designed to return both components using mechanical arms at the launch site. The previous test in September saw partial progress: while it successfully launched into orbit and deployed new Starlink satellites, a premature engine shutdown forced an early mission end with neither stage being recovered. Musk indicated that additional flight attempts will continue through 2026.
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Topics: Orbital Launch Vehicle Rocket Recovery SpaceX Starship