SpaceX Catches Starship Upper Stage on Flight 15
Tower arms grabbed the upper stage after the booster aborted and was destroyed offshore.
TL;DR
- SpaceX caught the Starship upper stage with Mechazilla tower arms for the first time.
- The Super Heavy booster aborted its catch attempt due to a low fuel alarm and was destroyed.
- All 33 engines performed as planned on ascent; one dropped out after separation during the boostback burn.
SpaceX aimed for a double catch on Flight 15 using the Mechazilla tower arms. The Super Heavy booster returned from its flight but ran into trouble on the way back.
A low fuel mass alarm cut the boostback burn short. The system spotted the off-track path and triggered an automatic abort, sending the booster offshore where it detonated over the Gulf of Mexico.
SpaceX noted the guidance setup worked as intended by forcing the safe abort. The team continues to investigate why the booster ended up off course.
Reports confirm the tower arms caught the Starship upper stage for the first time. Earlier booster catches had succeeded, but this flight targeted full recovery of both stages.
All 33 Raptor engines performed as planned on ascent. One engine dropped out after stage separation during the boostback burn.
The Tea
Even with the booster going splash, getting any part of Starship into those tower arms is a big step toward true reusability. The hiccup shows the system is smart enough to bail when things look wrong, which is exactly what you want before you start catching these things every week.
Sources
- The Verge: Watch SpaceX successfully execute the first ‘chopstick’ catch of Starship
- Space.com: Why did Starship Flight 15 booster abort ‘chopsticks’ landing catch? SpaceX still investigating (video)
Newsletter
Sunday Chai
The week's tech charcha in one email, every Sunday. Free.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.