They Did It! SpaceX Caught Booster 12 On Historic Starship Flight 5!

Historic Success: Starship Flight 5's First Booster Catch

On the morning of October 13, 2024, SpaceX achieved a significant milestone in spaceflight history with the successful catch of Booster 12 during the Starship Flight 5 mission.

The launch took place at precisely 8:25 AM Eastern Standard Time (EST) from SpaceX's Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas.

The booster was safely caught by the Mechazilla launch tower's "chopsticks" at 8:32 AM EST, a mere 6 minutes and 56 seconds after liftoff.

The Launch and Catch Process

The mission commenced with a flawless liftoff, propelling the Starship rocket into the skies.

Upon reaching an altitude of approximately 74 kilometers, the Super Heavy booster, designated Booster 12, separated from the Starship second stage, Ship 30.

During its controlled descent back to the launch site, the booster utilized three of its 33 methane-fueled Raptor engines to decelerate.

As Booster 12 descended, it carefully aligned itself with the Mechazilla launch tower.

Onboard view showing a catch fitting on Super Heavy as it contacts a chopstick catch beam pic.twitter.com/r1TVQEdITc

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 14, 2024

 

The "chopsticks" arms of the tower, designed specifically for this purpose, swung inward to intercept and secure the booster.

Tower view of the first Super Heavy booster catch pic.twitter.com/Bgjeyuw7Hf

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 14, 2024

 

This remarkable maneuver marked a groundbreaking achievement in aerospace engineering, as it was previously thought such a feat would be nearly impossible to achieve, given the precision and accuracy required.

Engine Performance

Unlike the previous Starship Flight 4, where one engine experienced a failure due to a blockage in the liquid oxygen supply, all 33 engines on Booster 12 performed flawlessly during Flight 5.

This improvement underscores SpaceX's commitment to enhancing the reliability and performance of its rocket engines, ensuring a smoother and more efficient ascent and descent.

NASA's Interest and Response

NASA has been closely monitoring SpaceX's Starship program due to its planned role in future lunar missions with the Starship HLS vehicle under the Artemis program.

The successful catch of Booster 12 is particularly significant for NASA as it demonstrates the feasibility of rapid reusability, which is crucial for sustainable lunar exploration and beyond.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson expressed his excitement, stating, "This is a giant leap forward for space travel and exploration."

Industry Response

Other spaceflight companies have also applauded SpaceX's achievement.

Blue Origin's CEO commented, "SpaceX's successful catch is a testament to the ingenuity and perseverance of the team. It sets a new standard for the industry."

Similarly, United Launch Alliance (ULA) CEO Tory Bruno praised the milestone, saying, "This is a game-changer for the entire space industry, and we look forward to seeing how it will shape the future of space exploration."

Significance

This first successful catch of a Super Heavy booster represents a historic milestone for SpaceX and the broader space exploration community.

It underscores the potential for rapid reusability of rocket boosters, a key factor in reducing the costs associated with space travel.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has described this achievement as akin to "science fiction becoming reality."

Post-Catch Procedures and Future Plans

Following the catch, SpaceX has undertaken the process of safing the booster (including removing it's flight termination system, also known as FTS) and examining its engines.

While Booster 12 itself will not be reflown, its engines may be taken apart and retested once it's been rolled back from the OLM to the production site as part of ongoing data gathering and analysis.

In the future, SpaceX plans to re-fly caught Super Heavy boosters to further validate their reusability and efficiency.

Further Information

For those interested in learning more about this historic mission and SpaceX's innovative technologies, the following resources are recommended:

• SpaceX's official website.

• Major news outlets such as Space.com, NASASpaceflight.com, NBC News, and BBC News.

• Popular spaceflight YouTubers, such as Scott Manley, Marcus House, and LabPadre, who have detailed videos on the flight, such as flight livestreams and post-flight recaps.

• SpaceX’s live streams and official social media channels.

Also, for a more detailed look at the catch process and all of the systems involved, I highly recommend watching this informative video produced by Ryan Hansen. It explains everything in great detail for those interested in the technical aspects.

This catch exemplifies SpaceX's commitment to advancing space exploration and achieving rapid reusability, marking a significant step forward in making space travel more sustainable and economical.

Also, if you want to watch (or rewatch) the historic flight and it's booster catch, along with the rest of the mission including the Statship's re-entry, make sure to check out this launch stream from Spaceflight Now.