SpaceX fails to catch both Starship rocket stages during test flight
The Super Heavy booster landed in the Gulf after a technical issue prevented the planned mid-air recovery attempt.
SpaceX attempted to recover both stages of its Starship rocket during a 22-hour mission on Friday, but the effort failed when the Super Heavy booster ended up in the Gulf, according to the Times of India.
The company stated it would not attempt to recover the booster due to a technical issue. The mission aimed to demonstrate the recovery of both the booster and the upper stage to make the entire rocket reusable.
If the test had succeeded, it would have been the first time every component of a rocket sent into orbit was retrieved for reuse. SpaceX founder Elon Musk views full reusability as essential for frequent launches to the Moon and Mars.
The upper stage, known as the Ship, was intended to complete 14 orbits and deploy 26 Starlink satellites before a second catch attempt. Previously, the upper stage had only reached orbit in September and had not been caught by the launch tower's mechanical arms.
NASA has provided billions of dollars to SpaceX to develop the Starship as a lunar lander for the Artemis programme. The agency is expected to decide whether to use the Starship or Blue Origin's Blue Moon lander a year before the Artemis IV mission.
SpaceX intends to begin launching Starships from Florida in a few months. The company's Falcon rockets will continue to carry NASA astronauts to the International Space Station and launch Starlink satellites.