SpaceX claims another Starship success, but fumbles the catch
- Reference: 1732116788
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2024/11/20/spacex_starship_success/
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The rocket [1]launched from SpaceX's Boca Chica facility in Texas at 2200 UTC on November 19 without incident. Following stage separation, the Super Heavy booster executed its typical flip maneuver and seemed to head back to the launch site for another catch by the chopsticks on the launch tower.
[2]
SpaceX Starship Flight 6 launch (pic: SpaceX launch feed)
However, SpaceX's engineers instead redirected the booster to a splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. The booster performed a landing burn above the water before toppling over in a fireball.
SpaceX did not immediately disclose the reason for the ocean landing, but later posted: "Automated health checks of critical hardware on the launch and catch tower triggered an abort of the catch attempt."
Certainly, the tower appeared to sustain significant damage during launch, and the lightning tower on top had developed a noticeable lean after Starship's departure. There is no indication, however, that this was connected to the decision to execute the pre-planned divert maneuver to a soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.
[3]
While catching the booster was a nice-to-have, the reignition of a Raptor engine by the Ship in space was a critical milestone. Demonstrating reignition enables future missions to reach orbit and carry out controlled re-entries.
[4]SpaceX Starship moved to launchpad for 6th flight test
[5]What might a second term of Trump mean for the US space program?
[6]SpaceX plans next Starship flight just days from now
[7]First time's the charm: SpaceX catches a descending Super Heavy Booster
During the Ship's time in space, SpaceX also switched to a camera inside the cavernous vehicle, showing a banana suspended within for scale.
The re-entry and soft splashdown of the Ship also went well, although visible crumpling of the vehicle's steel skin occurred during descent, and the front of one flap glowed orange, indicating that there was some form of overheating or burn-through. Neither issue prevented a successful splashdown, although the banana is unlikely to have survived.
[8]
SpaceX boss Elon Musk [9]said that the company planned one further ocean landing of the Ship before attempting to catch the vehicle with the tower should all go well.
During the launch broadcast, a SpaceX commentator gave details on future plans for the monster rocket – an uncrewed Mars mission in 2026 and a propellant transfer demonstration between two Starships in 2025. The latter is critical for NASA's Artemis program since SpaceX is expected to supply the lander for the Artemis III crewed Moon landing mission.
[10]
To do all that, however, SpaceX must demonstrate that Starship can achieve high launch frequency and reusability. This flight is another step toward that goal. ®
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[1] https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=starship-flight-6
[2] https://regmedia.co.uk/2024/11/20/spacex_starship.jpg
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Zz4Vsh54Ytz0ztFCF7XT0wAAAAg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2024/11/14/spacex_starship_flight_test/
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2024/11/12/trump_space_program/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2024/11/07/spacex_plans_next_starship_flight/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2024/10/13/first_time_success_spacexs_mechazilla/
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[9] https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1859036912348262787
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[11] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Any metallurgists lurking?
The Starship survived the entry looking less crispy, but I watched Scott Manley's video and he made a comment about the color change in the stainless steel. This can be a bad thing, no? From what I understand, those color changes can indicate structural changes, ie annealing or tempering and the steels properties being altered?
Re: Any metallurgists lurking?
Could be but not likely. Stainless surface changes colour beautifully at the drop of a hat. People make art with it.
A banana for scale
A Register reader on that team?
Re: A banana for scale
On a scale of 1 to 10, how bananas is Elon Musk?
Joking aside, congrats to the team on another successful launch.
Huge progress?
Mr Musk said the booster was planned to land harder on the tower. Apparently the automated diagnostics decided this wasn't a good idea, and so it went for a swim instead.
But the relight (for about a second) in orbit[1] was one of the big gains. They are looking for permission to launch 25 times next year: that's once every two weeks. And these early flights are deliberately pushing the boundaries to gather data. I expect this time next year no one will really care, as, like the Falcon launches now, it will be routine. What? They landed a 70m 250 ton skyscraper on a pair of metal arms 100m above the ground. Again? Yawn.
Gwynne Schotwell has said she wouldn't be surprised if there will have been 400 Starship flights by 2028. And if their plan works out, it will almost just be the cost of a bit of oxygen and natural gas to get to orbit. The $40m, or whatever it costs a Falcon second stage, will not need to be paid any more. Just as the Internet transformed the world in the 90s, so the 2030s are going to be unimaginably different to today.
[1] It was in orbit, it's just that perigee was below the Earth's surface. :-)
Re: Huge progress?
'...the 2030s are going to be unimaginably different to today.' - probably in more ways than one.
Catch 22
One bounce one hand?