Updated documents filed with the US Federal Communications Commission suggest that SpaceX may use its Mechazilla launch tower and chopstick arms to grab a returning Starship booster during the first orbital flight test of its upcoming giant rocket.
We don’t know when the Starship might make its first attempt at orbit, but when it finally does, that launch won’t be a dull affair, that’s for sure. The original plan for the fully stacked Starship system, as laid out in a SpaceX application filed with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in May 2021, said both stages of the rocket would end up in the ocean. the booster would be launched into the Gulf of Mexico, about 20 miles (32 km) offshore, while the upper stage, after completing a partial Earth orbit, would descend off the northwest coast of Kauai, Hawaii.
This scenario is still very likely, but a slight adjustment to the FCC application suggests a different outcome for the amplification stage. Upon launch from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, the Super Heavy booster will separate from the upper stage and “then make a partial return and land in the Gulf of Mexico or return to Starbase and be caught by the launch tower” , updated startup profile. This part about the booster being caught by the launch tower – which wasn’t there before, was spotted by the watchful eye of Michael Baylor of NASASpaceFlight.com.
SpaceX Super Heavy booster fishing effort profile for the inaugural launch. Image: SpaceX
The FCC application is specific to Starship’s first orbital launch, so CEO Elon Musk must have that goal in mind for the booster’s maiden voyage. This is a big ask, as nothing like this has ever been attempted before. Sure, the company can land Falcon 9 booster stages like nobody’s business, but the Starship booster is a horse of a different color. In addition to returning to the Starbase, the 230-foot (70-meter) booster will have to orient itself above the 400-foot (122-meter) launch pad and make a controlled descent. A pair of arms, called ‘chopsticks’, will then guide the booster to a safe vertical landing.
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Writing on Teslarati, Eric Ralph explains how incredibly dangerous this will be – especially given that the fishing attempt could happen during the initial launch:
In the event of larger anomalies during a landing attempt, the Starship or Super Heavy could accidentally hit the launch tower, damaging or even completely destroying the skyscraper-sized structure. Ultimately, the sheer risk involved in any capture attempt means that unless SpaceX has miraculously managed to do a near-perfect design of all cases on its first try, the company will have to be extremely cautious and spend a large number of ships and boosters to avoid the Starship launch tower alone cannot be used.
At least to some extent, SpaceX likely knows this, and the Super Heavy will likely need to be in excellent health and perform perfectly during the ascent and boost portions of its launch to be cleared for a fishing attempt. Ultimately, the Starship’s first orbital launch could end up being even more of a spectacle than it’s already warranted.
Ralph is correct in pointing out that there is only one Starship launch tower, but SpaceX is building a second one at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Ideally, SpaceX would like to use both towers to stack, launch and catch the booster. The private company is currently under contract with NASA to develop the system as a means of transporting astronauts to the lunar surface, but the bigger picture for SpaceX is for the rocket to deliver cargo and passengers to orbit, the Moon, Mars and potentially elsewhere . in the solar system.
According to the updated FCC filing, SpaceX is also seeking permission to use Starlink terminals to enable in-flight telemetry. “Multiple Starlink terminals will be fitted to each vehicle [both the booster and the upper stage] to ensure a clear view of the SpaceX satellite constellation through the Starship flight profile,” according to the updated application. “The terminals will use the same antenna and communications electronics as SpaceX’s previously authorized consumer terminals, but with a revised housing and base suitable for the mission profile.”
As for when the Starship could fly into orbit for the first time, that’s unclear. Earlier this week, a gas buildup under the Super Heavy Booster 7 prototype unexpectedly exploded during ground tests. The damage is “minor,” according to Musk, who said the booster may need to be moved to the high bay for inspections. Musk had hoped to launch the fully-stacked Starship this month, but that’s looking increasingly unlikely.
More: SpaceX cruises through Federal Environmental Review, inches closer to starship launch.
