SpaceX to try first Starship catch after orbit

SpaceX was preparing Friday for a Starship test flight that aims to catch the spacecraft's upper stage after a day in orbit, a recovery the company says would be the first full recovery of an orbital launch system.

The 15th Starship test flight is scheduled from SpaceX's Starbase site in southern Texas at 4:45 pm, or 2245 GMT. As of late Thursday, the US Federal Aviation Administration had not yet given final approval for the flight.

SpaceX aims to recover both stages of the 124-metre launch vehicle. The booster, known as Super Heavy, is planned to return to the Gulf of Mexico coastline launch site about six and a half minutes after liftoff and be caught by mechanical “chopstick” arms. SpaceX has caught the booster on three previous occasions.

The spaceship is planned to continue into Earth orbit, deploy 26 Starlink satellites, circle the planet 14 times and then return about 22 hours later. SpaceX said it would attempt the catch only if conditions are optimal.

A successful upper-stage catch would be a milestone in efforts to build fully reusable spacecraft. SpaceX said such a result would be a breakthrough in making Starship a reliable, rapidly reusable rocket.

Starship versions are intended for missions including satellite launches, orbital data centres and crewed travel to the Moon and Mars. NASA is counting on Starship as a lunar lander for its Artemis programme, while SpaceX still faces technical challenges including refuelling Starship in orbit.