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About 22.5 hours after liftoff, SpaceX's Starship spacecraft is caught and recovered by the launch tower's robotic arm for the first time

Source: IT之家 Published: Business & Funding 中文 SpaceX 3 more articles on this event →
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On November 14 local time, during Starship's 15th test flight, SpaceX for the first time used the launch tower's robotic arm to catch the second-stage spacecraft returning from orbit, marking the first time a Starship spacecraft has completed a launch tower capture. The 15th test flight's Starship stack lifted off on the afternoon of the 13th Central Time (early morning Beijing time on the 14th) from Starbase in Texas and consisted of a Super Heavy booster and the spacecraft. The capture occurred at 16:20 on November 14 (5:20 Beijing time on November 15), about 22.5 hours after liftoff. After completing about 14 orbital laps, the spacecraft started its engines to deorbit, re-entered the atmosphere, completed its landing burn, and finally came to rest between the launch tower's robotic arms. First-stage recovery was not completed simultaneously. SpaceX said that the Super Heavy booster B22 issued a low-fuel warning during its return flight, the capture procedure was canceled, and the booster was diverted to splash down in the Gulf of Mexico.

Translation(model translation, not the source's own text)

SpaceX Starship spacecraft caught and recovered by launch tower mechanical arms for the first time; 马斯克 to build AI data center constellation

IT之家, November 15: On November 14 local time, SpaceX used the launch tower's mechanical arms to catch the second-stage spacecraft returning from orbit for the first time during Starship's 15th test flight. This was the first time a Starship spacecraft completed a launch tower catch.

According to reports, SpaceX plans to use this spacecraft to build a huge network in LEO — according to 埃隆 · 马斯克, this network will include an AI data center constellation made up of a million spacecraft.

Assembling these giant structures requires an extremely high assembly cadence. SpaceX said that using a dual chopsticks-style catch method is key to achieving this goal, because it enables faster inspection, repair, and reflight of Starship. Therefore, the company will likely try this method again soon — very likely on the next spacecraft flight mission.

IT之家 noted that the Starship stack for the 15th test flight lifted off from Starbase, Texas, on the afternoon of the 13th U.S. Central Time (early morning Beijing time on the 14th), consisting of a Super Heavy booster and the spacecraft. The mission originally planned for both stages to return to the launch site at the same time, with the mechanical arms on the launch tower, commonly known as "chopsticks," catching each separately.

The catch occurred at 16:20 on November 14 (IT之家 note: 5:20 Beijing time on November 15), about 22.5 hours after liftoff. After completing about 14 orbital passes, the spacecraft ignited its engines to deorbit, reentered the atmosphere, completed its landing burn, and finally came to rest between the launch tower's mechanical arms.

First-stage recovery was not completed simultaneously. SpaceX said that Super Heavy booster B22 experienced a low-propellant warning during its return, the catch procedure was canceled, and the booster diverted to splash down in the Gulf of Mexico. Although the "double catch" attempt was not completed, it is one step closer to this goal.

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The translation is machine-generated and individual terms may be off. Nothing is rewritten or cut; the original is authoritative.

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