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SpaceX eyes tower catch for next Starship after auspicious end to 13th flight
Ars Technica • • business
Key Points:
- SpaceX successfully completed the 13th full-scale Starship test flight with a precise, intact splashdown in the Indian Ocean, marking the first time the vehicle floated without catching fire after reentry.
- Engineers conducted detailed drone inspections of Starship’s heat shield, which withstood extreme temperatures up to 2,600°F, providing crucial data for improving the vehicle’s durability and rapid turnaround goals.
- Despite the successful upper stage flight, the Super Heavy booster failed to relight engines for a controlled landing burn and crashed into the Gulf of Mexico, highlighting ongoing challenges with booster recovery in the latest rocket iteration.
- Starship deployed 20 upgraded Starlink V3 satellites on a suborbital trajectory, allowing SpaceX to collect telemetry data before the satellites burned up, demonstrating key capabilities for future orbital missions.
- Elon Musk indicated the next flight may attempt a longer-range trajectory into low-Earth orbit with a goal to catch Starship using mechanical arms on the launch tower, advancing toward operational launches and NASA lunar mission support.
