SpaceX Super Heavy rocket caught by ‘chopsticks’ arms

Lifting off from Boca Chica, Texas yesterday (October 13, 2024) Starship’s fifth flight test sought to land the mission’s Super Heavy first-stage rocket in the so-called chopstick arms of Mechazilla, the 400 ft (122m) launch and catch tower at Starbase. It also sought to test the new heat shield configuration of the Starship spacecraft that splashed down in the Indian Ocean.

SpaceX’s Starship – made up of the company’s Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket - is designed ‘to carry crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond’. Described as being the world’s most powerful launch vehicle, it can carry up to 150 metric tonnes fully reusable and 250 metric tonnes expendable.

Super Heavy is powered by 33 Raptor engines (13 in the centre and the remaining 20 around the perimeter of the booster’s aft end) using sub-cooled liquid methane (CH4) and liquid oxygen (LOX). According to SpaceX, Starship is powered by six engines, three Raptor engines, and three Raptor Vacuum (RVac) engines, which are designed for use in the vacuum of space. 

The 71m Super Heavy booster performed its landing burn and was caught following a successful lift-off, ascent, stage separation, boost back burn, and coast. The BBC said SpaceX slowed Super Heavy from speeds in excess of 17,000 mph (27,350 km/h) to guide it back to the launchpad and catch it. 

According to SpaceX's website, thousands of vehicle and pad criteria had to be met prior to the catch attempt. “Thanks to the tireless work of SpaceX engineers, we succeeded with catch on our first attempt,” it said.

For its part, Starship executed a successful hot-staging separation, igniting its six Raptor engines and completing ascent into outer space. It coasted along its planned trajectory to the other side of the planet before executing a controlled re-entry, passing through the phases of peak heating and maximum aerodynamic pressure, before executing a flip, landing burn, and splashdown at its target area in the Indian Ocean.

The flight test concluded at splashdown 1 hour, 5 minutes and 40 seconds after launch.

“The entire SpaceX team should take pride in the engineering feat they just accomplished,” said SpaceX. “The world witnessed what the future will look like when Starship starts carrying crew and cargo to destinations on Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond.”