SpaceX video points to possible Starship booster “catch” on next flight

one of The short video was released on ThursdayPresumably to celebrate America’s 4th of July holiday with the red glow of the biggest rocket ever, SpaceX provided new footage of the most recent test of its Starship launch vehicle.

The test, the fourth of the experimental rocket used by NASA to land its astronauts on the moon, and which could one day send humans to Mars, took place on June 6. During the flight, the rocket’s first stage performed well during ascent and, after separating from the upper stage, made a controlled reentry into the Gulf of Mexico. Starship’s upper stage flew nominally in space before making a controlled—if fiery—landing in the Indian Ocean.

The new video focuses primarily on the “Super Heavy” booster stage and its entry into the bay. There is new footage from a camera mounted on top of the 71-meter-tall first stage, as well as a nearby buoy at water level. The video taken from the buoy, in particular, shows the first stage landing upright in the ocean.

Perhaps most interestingly, at the end of the video, SpaceX showed a photo of Starship’s large launch tower at the Starbase facility in South Texas. Prominently visible are two “chopsticks,” large arms designed to catch the first-stage booster as it slowly descends back toward its launch pad.

Then, in the fake footage, the video shows the Starship’s first stage descending back toward the launch tower with the title “Flight 5.” And then it fades out.

To get off or not to get off?

This supports the idea that SpaceX is looking to capture the Starship booster in its next flight test, which will likely take place later this summer. Of course, the company still has both technical and regulatory work to do before that happens.

Shortly after the fourth flight test, SpaceX founder Elon Musk said the company aims to attempt such a landing on the next launch. However, during a conversation with local residents in South Texas last week, Starbase’s general manager said this is a very important step. Kathy Lueders said This attempt will likely not take place on Flight 5.

However, new videos released Thursday indicate that a catch-up attempt is still being discussed as a possibility, and perhaps even likely. Such a landing would be stunning to watch, as well as a calculated risk to SpaceX’s launch tower infrastructure, since the booster would likely land with a few extra tons of methane and liquid oxygen propellant in its tanks.

If SpaceX decides to pursue this attempt, it will still have to obtain a launch and re-entry license from the Federal Aviation Administration, whose job is to ensure the safety of people and property on the ground. It seems unlikely that the next test flight will take place before August.

Meanwhile, activities at the South Texas launch site could slow down for a few days as Hurricane Beryl enters the Gulf of Mexico later Friday and then moves toward the Texas coast early next week. The center of Beryl is expected to pass near or north of the launch site Sunday night or Monday, bringing gusty winds and waves.

However, since Beryl is not expected to be a major hurricane in terms of wind speed, these impacts should not prove devastating to SpaceX facilities. Heavy rainfall and inland flooding is also expected in the low-lying Starbase area on Monday and Tuesday before the storm moves away.