SpaceX Starship test aborts booster catch, Ship continues to orbit

SpaceX aborted its attempt to catch the Super Heavy booster of the Starship rocket during the latest test flight, diverting the stage to the ocean where it ignited on impact.

The 124‑metre Starship launched from the Starbase pad at Boca Chica, Texas at 16:45 local time (22:45 GMT) on Friday. Six and a half minutes later the booster was meant to be seized by the launch‑tower’s mechanical arms – nicknamed “chopsticks” – but the vehicle was instead steered to splash down in the Gulf of Mexico.

SpaceX said safety remained the priority and that the decision to attempt a catch would be made after assessing the upper stage, known as the Ship, while it remains in space. The Ship continued its flight, deploying 26 Starlink satellites and completing 14 Earth orbits before returning to the launch tower about 22.5 hours after liftoff, when a second catch could be tried.

Implications for reusability

While SpaceX has previously recovered the Super Heavy booster on three test flights, this was the first attempt to capture the upper stage, a step toward full Starship reusability that could lower launch costs. The test follows the company’s earlier success with Falcon 9 booster landings, which now fly over a hundred times a year.

The outcome is being watched by shareholders and NASA, as Starship is slated to serve as a lunar lander for the Artemis programme.

Source: BBC News. Photo: Phyllis Lilienthal / Pexels.