SpaceX wants to catch Starship boosters with “chopstick” maneuver

The 5. Flight test of the Starship from SpaceX is imminent. For the first time, a spectacular process will be used to capture the rocket’s booster. The only thing standing in the way is the appropriate approval.

For the catching maneuver 2 Greifarme attached to the Starship’s launch tower. The tower is nicknamed “Mechazilla“, the two arms are called “Chopsticks” (English chopsticks).

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Super Heavy Booster has no legs to stand on and must be caught

The 71 meter high Super-Heavy-Boosterthe first rocket stage, is supposed to fly back to the launch tower. There she should position herself in such a way that the chopstick arms should “reach” like chopsticks and capture the booster.

Different than that Falcon-9-Boosterthe Super Heavy Booster cannot land independently. The legs that stabilize the Falcon booster so that it can touch down on a landing area are missing.

SpaceX plans to launch on October 13th

But the maneuver is not yet over Aviation Authority FFA approved. A final date for the Starship’s 5th test flight is therefore still open. SpaceX is already preparing for a launch on 13 October before.

Successful 4th test flight

The 4. Test flight June was a success for SpaceX. 45 minutes The rocket traveled in space before re-entering the atmosphere. Here, as with the previous flights, there were problems with the Heat development. A landing flap caught fire and partially broke off.

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Nevertheless, a landing maneuver was successfully tested. The rocket then crashed into the Indian Ocean as planned. A similar course is planned for the 5th flight. The Heat shield was renewed to prevent further problems during re-entry.