SpaceX captures a booster rocket for the first time. What is the next step?
SpaceX successfully caught the Super Heavy rocket on its first attempt and in the fifth test of the rocket. What is the next step?
It was an impressive event when a 70-meter tall SpaceX rocket made a controlled descent toward a small target where two gigantic mechanical arms awaited to capture it just a few meters above the ground. This attempt, which took place last Sunday, marks the first time SpaceX has tried to "catch" its Super Heavy rocket, and to the surprise of many, it succeeded on its first attempt. Thousands of specific criteria required from both the vehicle and the platform were needed before achieving this feat, which was made possible through the tireless work of SpaceX’s engineers.
The immediate goal for SpaceX is to use the Super Heavy to launch a modified version of the Starship spacecraft, known as the Starship Human Landing System (HLS), towards a lunar orbit for NASA’s Artemis III mission, which could take place as early as 2026. However, before carrying out this mission, SpaceX will need to conduct numerous tests of the Starship system, which includes the Super Heavy first stage booster, the most powerful rocket ever flown, and the Starship in the upper stage. In future tests, which the company hopes to conduct before the end of the year, the team will attempt to repeat and refine the “capture” maneuver they accomplished last Sunday.
This recovery method allows SpaceX to quickly refurbish several Super Heavy boosters before launching them again, forming part of a reusable system that significantly reduces operational costs. It is also crucial for SpaceX to demonstrate the ability to refuel the Starship in low Earth orbit, an essential step for the proposed lunar missions. Additionally, it must carry out at least one uncrewed demonstration mission where the Starship HLS lands on the lunar surface and takes off again.
In the Artemis III mission, up to four astronauts will travel to a lunar orbit aboard NASA's Orion spacecraft, launched by the powerful Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. Subsequently, the Starship HLS will arrive in lunar orbit after being launched by the Super Heavy and will dock with Orion, allowing two crew members to transfer to the SpaceX vehicle, which will descend to the lunar surface for the first crewed lunar landing since the last Apollo mission in 1972. Finally, the Starship HLS will carry the two astronauts back to lunar orbit so they can return to the Orion spacecraft for their journey home.
Future goals are even more ambitious, including using the Starship for the first crewed mission to Mars and establishing a permanent astronaut base on the red planet. Elon Musk has shared his grander vision, stating that the successful flight and landing of the world’s most powerful rocket represents a “major step towards multi-planetary life.” In 2016, Musk proposed the ambition of relocating a million people to Mars to create a self-sustaining city, although this represents a challenge even for engineers who have yet to be born.
On the other hand, NASA's Crew-9 mission, scheduled to launch from the Kennedy Space Center, has been delayed again due to the arrival of Tropical Storm Helene in Florida. The mission, which will take two astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS), was initially scheduled for September 26 and has been postponed to September 28.
Additionally, Musk announced that SpaceX plans to launch about five uncrewed Starship missions to Mars within a two-year timeframe. If those missions successfully land on the red planet, the first crewed mission could take place in 2028, although the CEO of SpaceX warned that any difficulties could delay it another two years due to the alignment of Earth and Mars that facilitates these journeys.