SpaceX Achieves First Successful Recovery of Starship Using Chopsticks
3 April 2025 路 Uncategorized 路
Source: 路 https://www.cnr.cn/tech/techgsrw/20241014/t20241014_526938844.shtml
According to foreign media reports, on June 13th local time, American aerospace company SpaceX conducted its fifth test flight of Starship in Texas. During this attempt, a mechanical arm at the launch tower successfully caught the returning Super Heavy rocket.
The report noted that for this fifth test, the biggest highlight was SpaceX's challenge to catch back the 'SuperHeavy' booster using structures called "chopsticks" on an enormous launcher. Unlike Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets, these chopstick-like mechanisms are designed to grab returning large-scale rockets in mid-air.
Starship stands approximately 120 meters tall with a diameter of about nine meters; it consists of two parts: the first stage is around seventy meters long 'SuperHeavy' booster while the second part includes the Starship spacecraft. Both stages are reusable, aiming at transporting people and cargo into Earth's orbit as well as beyond to the Moon or Mars.
Starship has already undergone four orbital test flights. During its inaugural flight in April 2023, an explosion occurred before first-stage separation from the second stage; during November鈥檚 second attempt, both stages separated successfully but exploded shortly after. In March of this year's third trial run, although successful staging was achieved again, the booster disintegrated upon landing ignition attempts and lost contact with mission control as it re-entered Earth's atmosphere.
In June 2024, for its fourth test flight attempt, both stages separated successfully once more and landed in accordance to plan into the Gulf of Mexico and Indian Ocean respectively.
The report noted that for this fifth test, the biggest highlight was SpaceX's challenge to catch back the 'SuperHeavy' booster using structures called "chopsticks" on an enormous launcher. Unlike Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets, these chopstick-like mechanisms are designed to grab returning large-scale rockets in mid-air.
Starship stands approximately 120 meters tall with a diameter of about nine meters; it consists of two parts: the first stage is around seventy meters long 'SuperHeavy' booster while the second part includes the Starship spacecraft. Both stages are reusable, aiming at transporting people and cargo into Earth's orbit as well as beyond to the Moon or Mars.
Starship has already undergone four orbital test flights. During its inaugural flight in April 2023, an explosion occurred before first-stage separation from the second stage; during November鈥檚 second attempt, both stages separated successfully but exploded shortly after. In March of this year's third trial run, although successful staging was achieved again, the booster disintegrated upon landing ignition attempts and lost contact with mission control as it re-entered Earth's atmosphere.
In June 2024, for its fourth test flight attempt, both stages separated successfully once more and landed in accordance to plan into the Gulf of Mexico and Indian Ocean respectively.