SpaceX Plans Historic Full-Catch Attempt for Starship and Super Heavy Booster
SpaceX is preparing for what could be a historic milestone in rocket recovery technology. During the company's third quarter earnings report, CEO Elon Musk stated that SpaceX plans to attempt catching both the Starship spacecraft and its Super Heavy booster during the same flight—potentially the first time an orbital launch vehicle has been fully recovered.
Currently, SpaceX successfully catches and reuses only the first-stage boosters of its Falcon 9 rockets using ground-based mechanical arms at landing zones. The upcoming Starship attempt would expand this capability to include both major vehicle components, which would significantly streamline the reusability process the company has been working toward.
Musk acknowledged the inherent risks of testing new recovery techniques, noting that "success is not guaranteed on these first flights." However, he expressed confidence in the approach, estimating "it's more likely than not that this succeeds next flight." The CEO also described the potential achievement as "a profound technology milestone in the history of civilization consciousness."
SpaceX has been iteratively testing Starship with increasingly complex objectives. The successful implementation of full booster and ship catch-and-reuse could substantially reduce launch costs and turnaround times for the vehicle, which the company is developing for both NASA lunar landing missions and broader interplanetary ambitions.