GoKawiilSpaceX catches Starship upper stage with tower arms for first time
SpaceX successfully caught the Starship vehicle itself using its 'Mechazilla' launch and catch tower, marking the first time this maneuver has worked on Starship rather than just the Super Heavy booster. The booster catch for this flight was aborted and the booster detonated over the Gulf of Mexico, so the overall mission did not fully succeed.
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The successful Starship catch suggests SpaceX's tower-based recovery system can work across both stages of the vehicle, which could be important for the company's goal of rapid, low-cost reusability. SpaceX says it is still investigating the booster failure, and CEO Elon Musk has previously said he expects future flights to improve on this partial success.
- SpaceX caught the Starship upper stage with its tower arms for the first time
- The booster catch on this flight was aborted and the booster exploded over the Gulf of Mexico
- SpaceX is investigating the booster failure while treating the Starship catch as a milestone
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Published there as: “Watch SpaceX successfully execute the first ‘chopstick’ catch of Starship”
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