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SpaceX will attempt 1st-ever double Starship rocket catch on next test launch, a 'profound technology milestone,' Elo...
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SpaceX will attempt the first-ever catch of both Starship stages on the rocket’s next test flight, Elon Musk said on Oct. 20. The launch is targeted for next month, though no specific date was announced. Musk said success would mark the first full recovery of an orbital launch vehicle.
Starship is the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built, standing more than 400 feet (122 meters) tall. Its Super Heavy booster and Ship upper stage are designed to return to the launch tower and be caught by “chopstick” arms. SpaceX says this rapid reuse is essential for Mars settlement and other exploration goals.
SpaceX has conducted 14 Starship test flights and caught Super Heavy three times, but never Ship. The upper stage is harder to recover because it travels higher, farther and faster than the booster. Musk said a Ship catch next flight is “more likely than not,” with more attempts planned through year-end and into next year.
The attempt follows Flight 14 on Sept. 28, when Ship reached orbit for the first time and deployed 26 Starlink Version 3 satellites. Those craft are the first members of a next-generation constellation expected to eventually include about 100,000 satellites. SpaceX says reusable Starship flights are central to launching Starlink and orbital AI data centers at high volume.
The news came during SpaceX’s third-quarter earnings call. Revenue reached $14.6 billion, up 161% from $5.6 billion a year earlier, while net income was $4.4 billion, compared with a $1.1 billion loss. Only $1.8 billion came from launches; connectivity and artificial intelligence generated most revenue.
Musk called full reusability a “profound technology milestone” for civilization. Success would give SpaceX back-to-back major advances after Flight 14’s orbital debut. If the catch fails, Musk said, the company still has a steady stream of flights planned.
