SpaceX: Giant robotic arms to capture Starship on fifth test flight
SpaceX is planning a precision landing on the launch pad for the fifth launch of its spaceship in August. Two giant robotic arms are to capture the rocket.
The rendering shows how SpaceX's Starship is to be caught by two gripper arms during landing.
(Image: SpaceX (Screenshot))
The fifth test flight of the Starship rocket from Elon Musk's space company SpaceX is set to take place at the beginning of August, provided the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has no objections. Elon Musk announced this on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday. A landing maneuver is planned on the launch pad: the first rocket stage is to land there again and be caught by two huge, automatically operated robot arms.
Chopstick procedure
In order to be able to reuse the Starship rocket quickly after a mission, it should land on the ramp, where it can then be launched again. However, this requires a precise landing process. This is supported by two motor-driven catching arms that surround the rocket during landing and are designed to catch it. SpaceX calls the process a chopstick because the two catching arms pick up the rocket like chopsticks. If everything works, this could significantly increase the number of flights, as the boosters could be inspected, overhauled and reused more quickly. Only in this way should the 120 or so rocket launches planned for 2025 in Florida be possible.
Videos by heise
So far, the SpaceX team has only posted a short video of a test setup of the chopstick system on X at the end of June, in which the enclosure of the rocket is shown. Another video from the same day illustrates the entire planned landing process in a rendering.
In reality, the capture method will be used for the first time on the fifth test flight, according to Space.com. The chances of this happening are good, as the last fourth Starship test flight on July 6 went off without any major complications. Although there was an unexpected ejection of flames from the first rocket stage, the rocket turned in correctly for landing and then splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico.
According to current information, the FAA has no plans to investigate the incident. Following technical adjustments to the rocket and reprocessing, only the flight clearance must be granted by the FAA. A launch date in early August or a little later should therefore be possible.
(olb)
