SpaceX is gearing up for a significant milestone with its 15th Starship test flight, aiming to recover both stages of the world’s largest rocket. This ambitious mission seeks to catch the Starship spacecraft using mechanical arms at the launch site following approximately 22 hours in orbit.
The 124-metre rocket comprises two stages: the Super Heavy booster and the Starship spacecraft. SpaceX has already successfully recovered the booster three times using giant mechanical arms, colloquially known as chopsticks. The upcoming test marks the first attempt to employ the same recovery technique for the spacecraft.
Launching from Starbase in southern Texas, the Super Heavy booster is expected to return to the launch site about six and a half minutes after liftoff. Simultaneously, the Starship spacecraft will enter Earth’s orbit and deploy 26 satellites into the Starlink internet network. After completing 14 orbits around the planet, the spacecraft will re-enter the atmosphere and attempt a controlled landing between the mechanical arms. This operation poses significant technical challenges due to the spacecraft’s return from a higher altitude and at a greater speed than the booster.
A successful recovery would represent a major advancement in the development of fully reusable launch systems, potentially lowering the cost of space missions and increasing launch frequency. Starship is designed for various functions, including satellite deployment and future crewed missions to the Moon and Mars.
The programme, however, still faces engineering challenges, such as protecting the spacecraft from extreme temperatures during atmospheric re-entry and developing technology for in-orbit fuel transfer. NASA plans to utilize a version of Starship for lunar landings as part of its Artemis programme.
SpaceX has indicated that the planned recovery operations will proceed only if conditions are favorable, with the test flight also awaiting final regulatory approval ahead of its scheduled launch.