From BBC News · · 2m
SpaceX aborts first catch in Starship double-catch test
SpaceX diverted its Starship booster to the ocean instead of catching it with the launch tower's mechanical arms, but will attempt to catch the upper stage on its return.
In brief
SpaceX diverted its Starship booster to the ocean instead of catching it with the launch tower's mechanical arms, but will attempt to catch the upper stage on its return. SpaceX aborted its first attempt to catch Starship's booster stage during a test flight on Friday, diverting it to the ocean, but will decide…
Booster catch aborted
SpaceX's 124m-tall Starship rocket launched from Boca Chica, Texas at 16:45 local time on Friday.
Safety prioritised over catch
During the livestream, a SpaceX spokesperson said: "Safety is always the number one priority and we're still testing out things that we haven't done before on these vehicles, and so we are prioritising making sure…
“Safety is always the number one priority and we're still testing out things that we haven't done before on these vehicles”
Upper stage continues to orbit
The Ship, the upper stage of Starship, is continuing its journey to space.It is deploying twenty six satellites for the Starlink constellation and will complete fourteen orbits around Earth before returning to the launch tower.
Second catch attempt planned
The Ship is due to return to the launch tower twenty two point five hours after taking off on Saturday at about fifteen fifteen local time, twenty one fifteen GMT.
Previous booster catches succeeded
SpaceX has managed to catch the Super Heavy booster on three earlier test flights.But the upper stage, which only reached orbit for the first time in September, has never been grabbed by the chopsticks before.
Full reusability could transform space
Prof Malcolm Macdonald, president of Royal Aeronautical Society, said: "Full reusability has the potential to fundamentally change the economics of accessing space.
“Full reusability has the potential to fundamentally change the economics of accessing space”
Nasa's Moon timeline at stake
SpaceX has a Nasa contract to configure the Ship into a lander for the Moon.
Blue Origin also racing to meet deadlines
Blue Origin, owned by Jeff Bezos, also has a Nasa contract for Moon landing.The company suffered a major setback earlier this year when its rocket exploded, destroying its launchpad in Florida.
The main idea
SpaceX aborted its first attempt to catch Starship's booster stage during a test flight on Friday, diverting it to the ocean, but will decide whether to catch the upper stage on Saturday.
