Starship fully reusable rocket and booster catch
Starship, cohete totalmente reutilizable y captura del propulsor
- Date
- 2023-2024 · confidence medium
- Place
- SpaceX Starbase, Boca Chica, Texas, United States
- Credited to
- SpaceX; first integrated flight in April 2023; Super Heavy booster caught by the tower's arms on 13 October 2024
- Field
- Movement
What it is
The largest rocket in history, built of stainless steel and fuelled by methane, designed to reuse both stages; its booster was caught in mid-air by the launch tower. It aims to cut the cost to orbit by a further order of magnitude.
Development continued through 2025-2026; full operational capability had not yet been demonstrated as of this entry's date.
What it led to
- Artemis Moon landing plans and the colonisation of Mars
- The ability to launch 100-tonne payloads (Starlink V2, giant telescopes)
- Environmental and regulatory debate over mass launches
Built on
- Reusable orbital rocket (Falcon 9)2015
- Raptor: first full-flow staged-combustion engine to fly25 de julio de 2019
- reusable Falcon 9 rocket
- Raptor staged-combustion-cycle engine
- N1 and Saturn V rockets
Made possible
- Artemis program: SLS, Orion and crewed return to the Moon2022-2026
- HLS Moon lander
- Starlink V2
- point-to-point transport (concept)