Starship | SpaceX will try to catch part of its megarocket in flight

(Boca Chica) SpaceX must attempt a new and spectacular maneuver on Sunday: catching up with the first stage of its megarocket Starship using huge mechanical arms, during a new test flight which could represent a decisive step towards the reuse of this heavy launcher.

The two stages of the rocket – the largest and most powerful in the world – must at the end of its development be recovered and reused after each flight. A strategy aimed at being able to launch more machines more quickly, and for much less money.

Billionaire Elon Musk’s company aims to use Starship to colonize Mars. The development of the spacecraft is also closely monitored by NASA, which is counting on it to bring its astronauts back to the surface of the Moon.

The takeoff of this 5^e test flight Starship is scheduled to begin at 7 a.m. local time (8 a.m. Eastern Time) from the company’s Starbase space base in southernmost Texas in the United States.

The rocket consists of the first stage Super Heavy and, above, the ship Starshipwhich by extension gives its name to the entire launcher. Super Heavy alone measures some 70 meters high (the complete rocket is 120 meters).

During each flight, Super Heavy detaches from the ship after propelling it using its 33 powerful engines. Until now, it was going to end its journey in the sea, but this time SpaceX wants to try to bring it back to its launch pad, around seven minutes after takeoff.

Once braked and before it hits the ground, mechanical arms installed on the launch tower, nicknamed “the wands”, must then close around it and immobilize it.

“SpaceX engineers spent years preparing for the capture attempt,” the company wrote. “Tens of thousands of hours” were spent by technicians “putting in place the infrastructure necessary to maximize our chances of success,” she added.

Risky maneuver

“Thousands” of conditions will have to be met to carry out this risky maneuver, SpaceX warned. If they are not united, Super Heavy will follow a trajectory leading it to land in the Gulf of Mexico.

For its part, the ship Starship will continue its flight until landing in the Indian Ocean. It had for the first time successfully landed gently in this ocean during the previous test flight, four months ago.

Images broadcast live by cameras on the ship then showed a layer of orange plasma when it returned from space, due to friction with the atmosphere. Pieces had broken off under the pressure.

Since then, SpaceX has said it has carried out “a complete overhaul of the heat shield” of the ship, by installing “new generation” tiles.

Controversies

The development of Starship is being carried out vigorously by SpaceX, by launching prototypes without cargo, in order to quickly correct the problems encountered in real flight situations.

In recent weeks, the company has openly complained about the slowness of the American aviation regulator (FAA), responsible for flight authorizations.

“It takes more time to complete the administrative formalities necessary to obtain a license to launch a rocket than to design and build the equipment itself,” the company was offended in a rare and long press release in September.

Elon Musk, who over the years has made a shift to the right and now ostensibly supports Donald Trump for the November 5 presidential election, had called on the head of the FAA to resign.

SpaceX is also fighting accusations of environmental pollution, particularly linked to the deluge of water spilled during each launch of Starship when the engines are switched on, in order to attenuate acoustic waves and thus limit vibrations.

This system was added after the first test flight, in April 2023, destroyed part of the launch pad under the power of takeoff, catapulting debris and a cloud of dust.

Several environmental associations denounce the damage caused by SpaceX’s operations to animal species, with the space base being installed right next to a protected reserve.