Jamie Spencer
SpaceX is taking its Starship recovery ambitions to new heights, with plans to catch both the first-stage booster and the upper stage of its Starship rocket in 2025. CEO Elon Musk confirmed the company’s ambitious goal on Tuesday, following the success of a groundbreaking maneuver that saw SpaceX catch the Super Heavy booster back on its launch tower, known as Mechazilla, during a recent test.
A New Milestone in Reusable Spaceflight
The recent test, conducted on Sunday, marked the first time SpaceX attempted to catch Starship’s first-stage booster. In previous launches, the company had not attempted to recover the booster in this way, making the success of this test an unprecedented achievement in the space industry. The successful catch allows SpaceX to reuse the boosters, streamlining the launch process and making future takeoffs more efficient.
“This is a big step forward for making space travel more sustainable,” Musk noted in a post on X, referring to the potential for recycling boosters for multiple missions.
Next Target: Catching Both Booster and Upper Stage
With this success under its belt, SpaceX is looking ahead to a more complex goal—catching both the Super Heavy booster and Starship’s upper stage. Musk confirmed that this ambitious maneuver could happen as early as next year, taking the company one step closer to its ultimate mission of transporting humans to Mars by 2026.
The move is unprecedented and would represent a leap forward in rocket reusability. Successfully catching both components of the 400-foot-tall Starship rocket would be a feat of engineering and a significant milestone in the development of next-generation space travel.
Progress Through Recent Starship Test Launches
The path to this goal has been paved by recent successes. SpaceX’s fourth and fifth Integrated Flight Test (IFT-4 and IFT-5) missions went off without a hitch, achieving everything the company had set out to accomplish. The IFT-5 mission included a smooth landing of the Super Heavy booster back on the launch tower and a controlled splashdown of Starship’s upper stage in the Indian Ocean.
These successful tests demonstrated SpaceX’s growing mastery of the complex technologies needed for recovering reusable rockets, offering a glimpse into a future where regular, reusable spaceflight is the norm.
Gearing Up for IFT-6 and Beyond
As SpaceX looks forward to catching both stages of Starship, preparations are already underway for the next phase of testing. The company has conducted a successful static fire test of the engines on the Starship for its sixth Integrated Flight Test (IFT-6), which took place on September 19. This static fire test is a critical step in ensuring the rocket’s readiness for its next launch.
The IFT-6 mission aims to build on previous successes and further refine the techniques required for catching both the booster and upper stage. SpaceX’s continuous testing and improvements highlight the company’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of space travel.
Toward a Future on Mars
The ultimate goal of these advancements is to enable long-term human presence on Mars. Starship’s design as a fully reusable space vehicle is central to these plans. By perfecting the ability to catch both the booster and upper stage, SpaceX aims to drastically reduce the costs associated with space launches, making the dream of interplanetary travel more attainable.
While challenges remain, each successful test brings SpaceX closer to its vision. If the company’s next catch attempt is as successful as its most recent one, it could be a major step toward realizing the goal of a reusable Starship fleet, capable of ferrying humans and cargo to Mars and beyond.
