SpaceX Calls Off Booster Catch Try Mid-Flight, Citing Security Considerations

Shortly after launching its Starship rocket for the sixth time, SpaceX opted out of performing a booster catch, letting the rocket’s first stage dive into the ocean as a substitute. It’s not the consequence the corporate hoped for, however knowledge from the flight will undoubtedly inform future makes an attempt.

Starship lifted off on Tuesday at 5 p.m. ET from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas for its sixth built-in take a look at flight. The suborbital launch was supposed to incorporate the Tremendous Heavy booster being caught by the huge Mechazilla tower after reentry, however SpaceX declared it a no-go for the booster catch roughly 4 minutes after liftoff.

“Lots of issues have to go properly for that to line up,” a SpaceX spokesperson defined throughout the reside broadcast. As a substitute, the booster needed to carry out a mushy soggy touchdown off the coast in Texas as a result of not all standards for a catch had been met, SpaceX added. The corporate cited security issues for the group, the general public, and the launch pad itself as the rationale why SpaceX skipped the booster catch try, in response to the printed.

Tremendous Heavy initiates its touchdown burn and softly splashes down within the Gulf of Mexico pic.twitter.com/BZ3Az4GssC

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) November 19, 2024

The booster’s splashdown was nonetheless spectacular to look at, as the huge rocket slowed down on its method to the floor of the water earlier than gently diving in like a humpback whale after a full breach. On its method down, the booster lit up 13 of its engines earlier than paring right down to solely three engines proper earlier than splashdown, which came about round seven minutes after launch.

Starship is on its method down now, selecting up velocity. pic.twitter.com/DB1EJyKrfu

— Scott Manley (@DJSnM) November 19, 2024

Starship’s sixth take a look at flight did embrace another milestones, together with the re-lighting of one of many rocket’s six Raptor engines in area for the primary time. The rocket additionally carried its first payload, a stuffed toy within the form of a banana (take a look at the picture within the above tweet, displaying the lone banana), which served as a zero gravity indicator. The Starship higher stage managed to outlive reentry and carry out a managed mushy splashdown within the Indian Ocean at 6:05 p.m. ET.

Splashdown confirmed! Congratulations to your entire SpaceX group on an thrilling sixth flight take a look at of Starship! pic.twitter.com/bf98Va9qmL

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) November 19, 2024

Earlier in October, Starship launched for a groundbreaking fifth take a look at flight. For the primary time, the rocket’s Tremendous Heavy 232-foot-tall (71 meters) booster gently got here down in the direction of the tower, which caught the rocket with its prolonged mechanical arms like a large pair of chopsticks.

This 12 months noticed Starship inch nearer in the direction of operational flights, with every take a look at flight proving extra profitable than the one earlier than it. SpaceX launched its Starship rocket for the first time in April 2023, however its debut was lower than preferrred because the automobile entered right into a deadly tumble that pressured floor controllers to concern a self-destruct command proper earlier than the four-minute mark of the mission.

In November 2023, Starship’s second test flight resulted in the in-flight destruction of both the Super Heavy booster and upper stage, but it surely was nonetheless a significant enchancment from its inaugural flight. For the third test flight in March, Starship efficiently carried out a stage separation, accomplished a full-duration burn of the second-stage engines, demonstrated inner propellant switch for NASA, and examined the Starlink dispenser door. Starship’s fourth liftoff in June broke new grounds in comparison with its earlier take a look at flights, with the rocket largely surviving peak heating and max aerodynamic strain throughout its managed reentry.