SpaceX getting to grips with plan to catch Starship booster using robotic arms

Company is awaiting regulatory approval for test flight, with sights set on Moon and Mars missions

SpaceX's Starship spacecraft blasts off from Texas. The company is preparing for its fifth test flight. AFP

SpaceX aims to use robotic arms to catch its Starship booster in mid-air during its fifth test flight, a move that could redefine how rockets are recovered.

The company is developing Starship, a reusable rocket designed to carry cargo and astronauts to the Moon and Mars. It has conducted test flights to demonstrate its ability to reach orbit safely.

In the previous test, the Super Heavy booster and Starship spacecraft splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico and Indian Ocean. But SpaceX wants to use its "Mechazilla" robotic arms on the launch tower to recover its booster – a shift from its use of landing legs on Falcon 9 rockets.

The company said the Starship system was ready to fly again and it is awaiting regulatory approval.

“It’s like watching an Olympic gymnast stick a landing after a quadruple somersault – except with tonnes of rocket descending at incredible speeds,” Sahith Reddy Madara, an aerospace engineer and founder of Paris-based advisory firm Bumi and Space.

“On one hand, this method promises to streamline operations by cutting out the need for bulky landing legs, which traditionally add weight and reduce payload capacity. It is both thrilling and nerve-racking.”

How does it work?

After the 69-metre booster carries the Starship into space, the rocket will begin its return to Earth. The arms on the 145-metre launch tower will move into position to grab the booster.

SpaceX hopes this rapid reusability will allow the booster to be refurbished and prepared for its next flight, helping to accelerate the turnaround time for missions and reduce flight costs.

High-stakes operation

Catching the rocket successfully will be no easy task. “The potential for failure is significant,” Mr Madara said.

“Debris from a failed catch could cause significant damage, not just to the infrastructure but potentially to nearby ecosystems or communities.”

SpaceX is no stranger to high-risk ventures, having built a reputation for pushing the boundaries in the aerospace sector. The company pioneered landing rockets vertically on droneships in the ocean, a manoeuvre that has since become a routine part of its operations.

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“SpaceX’s approach to innovation has always involved a healthy dose of risk-taking, combined with rigorous testing,” Mr Madara said. “They’ve shown that they’re willing to iterate quickly, learn from failures and improve on the fly.”

SpaceX is developing the rocket in the hope it could one day take humans to Mars. But the company has more immediate goals, including fulfilling a $2.89 billion contract with Nasa to develop a landing system to put astronauts on the Moon.

SpaceX has also sold seats on the third mission in the Polaris Programme, a project led by billionaire Jared Isaacman. He is to travel on the first crewed Starship flight.

Seats were also sold to Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa as part of his dearMoon project. But in June, he cancelled the project, saying he thought Starship would be ready to launch this year.