17:25Machine-translated from Azerbaijani by AIRead in Azerbaijani
SpaceX to Attempt Catching Both Starship Stages in Midair for the First Time
SpaceX plans to catch both the Super Heavy booster and the upper stage, called Ship, in midair during the 15th test flight of the Starship system. Elon Musk said the flight could take place next month. If the attempt succeeds, both stages of the system will be recovered after the same flight for the first time. The company announced the plan during an X broadcast dedicated to its 3rd-quarter financial results.
Starship is a 2-stage system. It is approximately 120 meters tall and 9 meters in diameter. The system uses Raptor engines powered by liquid methane and liquid oxygen. The mechanical arms of the tower at the landing site are intended to catch the returning stages in midair. SpaceX has previously caught the Super Heavy booster using this method. However, no such attempt has yet been made with Ship, which flies higher, farther and faster. A short simulation was also shown during the live broadcast. In the video, Ship approaches the tower vertically and is caught between the mechanical arms. The same tower is also used to launch the rocket. SpaceX wants to prepare all parts of the system for another flight within a short time. Starship is being developed to carry people and cargo to the Moon and Mars in the future. During the 14th test, conducted last month, Starship’s upper stage reached Earth orbit for the first time. It added dozens of more capable Starlink V3 satellites to the network. However, one of the Raptor engines shut down prematurely during ascent. Although the other engines continued the flight, the mission, which was planned to last 10 hours and 6 orbits, was cut short. The flight ended after approximately 3 hours and 2 orbits. During that flight, Super Heavy landed in the Gulf of Mexico. After a deorbit maneuver, Ship made a vertical landing in the Pacific Ocean north of Hawaii. The upper stage descended engulfed in flames, and neither stage was recovered. Musk believes the next attempt has a higher chance of success, but he does not guarantee it. If the attempt fails, testing will continue through the end of the year and will be conducted more frequently next year.
Starship is a 2-stage system. It is approximately 120 meters tall and 9 meters in diameter. The system uses Raptor engines powered by liquid methane and liquid oxygen. The mechanical arms of the tower at the landing site are intended to catch the returning stages in midair. SpaceX has previously caught the Super Heavy booster using this method. However, no such attempt has yet been made with Ship, which flies higher, farther and faster. A short simulation was also shown during the live broadcast. In the video, Ship approaches the tower vertically and is caught between the mechanical arms. The same tower is also used to launch the rocket. SpaceX wants to prepare all parts of the system for another flight within a short time. Starship is being developed to carry people and cargo to the Moon and Mars in the future. During the 14th test, conducted last month, Starship’s upper stage reached Earth orbit for the first time. It added dozens of more capable Starlink V3 satellites to the network. However, one of the Raptor engines shut down prematurely during ascent. Although the other engines continued the flight, the mission, which was planned to last 10 hours and 6 orbits, was cut short. The flight ended after approximately 3 hours and 2 orbits. During that flight, Super Heavy landed in the Gulf of Mexico. After a deorbit maneuver, Ship made a vertical landing in the Pacific Ocean north of Hawaii. The upper stage descended engulfed in flames, and neither stage was recovered. Musk believes the next attempt has a higher chance of success, but he does not guarantee it. If the attempt fails, testing will continue through the end of the year and will be conducted more frequently next year.