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马斯克 shares close-up photos of SpaceX Starship 'chopstick' catch: 'I hugged it'

Source: IT之家 Published: Business & Funding 中文 SpaceX
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On November 14 local time, SpaceX's 15th Starship test flight saw the launch tower's mechanical arm catch the second stage returning from orbit for the first time — the first-ever tower capture of a Starship vehicle. Founder 马斯克 then posted a series of messages on social media along with close-up photos of the vehicle, writing: "Thanks to the brilliant team at SpaceX, this great moment has finally arrived" and "I hugged it when Ship 42 returned." The Super Heavy booster B22 triggered a low-fuel warning on its way back, so 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)

马斯克 shares close-up photos of SpaceX Starship being "chopstick-caught": "I embraced it"

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

Afterward, the company's founder 马斯克 posted a series of messages on social media and shared close-up photos of the spacecraft, writing: "Thanks to the brilliant team at SpaceX, this great moment has finally arrived" and "When Ship 42 came back, I embraced it."

According to previous IT之家 reports, the Starship stack for SpaceX's 15th test flight lifted off from Starbase in Texas on the afternoon of the 13th Central Time (early morning Beijing time on the 14th), consisting of a Super Heavy booster and a spacecraft. The mission originally planned for both stages to return to the launch site simultaneously, with each caught by the mechanical arms on the launch tower commonly known as the "chopsticks."

The second-stage spacecraft 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 orbits, the spacecraft started its engines to deorbit, re-entered the atmosphere and completed its landing burn, finally coming to rest between the launch tower's mechanical arms.

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

Related articles

  • 马斯克 says: SpaceX's "chopstick rocket catch" will attempt to recover both Starship and booster for the first time next month
  • 马斯克 SpaceX Starship's 14th test flight set for September 22, first attempt at Earth orbit
  • 马斯克: By 2030 SpaceX aims for Starship to launch more than 30 times a day
  • Starship's upper stage remained intact after splashdown on the 13th test flight, but 马斯克 said recovery prospects are not optimistic
  • SpaceX's first post-IPO earnings call approaches, retail investors' questions run the gamut
  • After the success of SpaceX Starship's 13th test flight, 马斯克 said landing accuracy has reached the standard for tower recovery

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

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