SpaceX caught up with the first stage of its Starship megarocket on Sunday after a test flight of nearly nine minutes, a first which could represent a decisive step towards the reuse of this heavy launcher.
Before the Super Heavy stage hit the ground, mechanical arms installed on the launch tower, nicknamed “the wands,” closed around it and immobilized it, according to the video broadcast from Elon’s company Musk.
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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.
Return to his shooting range
The rocket consists of the Super Heavy first stage and, above it, the Starship, which by extension gives its name to the entire launcher. Super Heavy alone is some 70 meters tall (the complete rocket is 120).
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 SpaceX managed this time to bring it back to its launch pad.
For its part, the 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.
ats/ther
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