On Friday, SpaceX launched the 15th test flight of its Starship rocket from Texas. This mission is considered highly significant for the company. SpaceX’s objective this time is to reach orbit and then safely return the rocket to the same launch site from which it took off. If successful, this experiment would mark a major milestone in the development of reusable rocket technology within the space sector.
According to the company’s plan, the uncrewed upper stage of the Starship will remain in orbit for approximately one day before re-entering Earth’s atmosphere. On Saturday, an attempt will be made to bring it back to the launch tower. A specialized “catch-landing” system has been installed, which uses massive mechanical arms to capture the rocket in a controlled manner, ensuring a safe landing.
Booster rocket fails during return
The mission also included plans to recover the lower stage of the Starship—the Super Heavy booster—using SpaceX’s “chopstick” technology. This system employs large mechanical arms mounted on the launch tower to catch the rocket mid-air.
However, after separating from the Starship a few minutes into the flight, the Super Heavy booster veered off its intended return path. It then headed toward a designated area over the Gulf of Mexico. After hovering in the air for a short while, it exploded at an altitude above the sea surface. Despite this, mission control remained focused on the safe return of the Starship’s upper stage.
Starship reaches orbit in 27 minutes
According to SpaceX, the Starship reached orbit approximately 27 minutes after launch. The primary challenge now lies in safely returning the upper stage to the launch tower. A successful outcome would provide a major boost to the company’s reusable rocket technology. A Major Step Toward a Reusable Rocket System
SpaceX founder Elon Musk aims to develop a rocket system in which every component can be reused. This would reduce the need to build new rockets for every space mission and could help lower the cost of space travel. Achieving this goal requires returning the upper stage of the Starship to the launch site—a critical step.
This was the 15th test flight of the Starship since 2023. It also marked the second time the rocket has been used to deploy a batch of Starlink satellites into orbit. Consequently, this mission was significant both for SpaceX’s satellite connectivity business and for testing the technical capabilities of the Starship.
