SpaceX’s Starship rocket plans unprecedented new stunt

The fifth Starship test flight will remain in the annals of SpaceX for a long time, just like these 7 key moments that allowed the rocket to be where it is today. It must be said that capturing the first stage of the Starship in mid-flight (and on the first try) by the “Mechazilla” tower is not a very common maneuver in aerospace.

The American company is obviously delighted with this success, widely immortalized in video and photos, but its teams are already watching what happens next. In addition to the analysis of flight data from this 5th test flight, the tower is being rehabilitated and the campaign to prepare for the 6th flight – hoped for by the end of the year – is already underway.

This sixth flight could be an opportunity for SpaceX to retry a mid-flight capture of the Super Heavy, the name of the booster that equips Starship. Indeed, the American company has authorization from the Civil Aviation Administration in the United States to retest the rocket, provided that the mission profile remains identical to the fifth flight.

After Super Heavy, the capture of the Starship

But at the beginning of 2025, SpaceX could attempt a new maneuver never seen before: the capture of the upper stage (also called Starship), that is to say the spaceship, by the Mechazilla. In any case, this is the roadmap that was mentioned in mid-October 2024 by Elon Musk in a response to an Internet user.

« Hopefully early next year we’ll also catch the Starship », According to the American entrepreneur. This would certainly be an unprecedented event, as the maneuver has never been attempted. But it remains to be seen whether this will actually take place in early 2025, since Elon Musk is known for putting forward unrealistic timetables.

The test envisaged by Elon Musk with this capture should have the effect of modifying the Starship’s flight plan. Each test so far has aimed to have the spacecraft travel to a point far from its launch pad — in this case, the Pacific Ocean, then the Indian Ocean (only this one has was actually achieved, twice).

This could therefore require specific authorization from the FAA, the issuance of which could take time – a subject which has often been the subject of friction between the regulatory body and SpaceX. Indeed, it is assumed that the Starship will not travel above the globe during this test, but will perform a maneuver above the launch pad in Texas.

It also remains to be determined what will happen to the Super Heavy during this test, as the Mechazilla is only suitable for catching one segment at a time.