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WG3K > ANS 20.10.24 18:54l 20 Lines 3644 Bytes #24 (0) @ AMSAT
BID : ANS294.3
Read: GAST
Subj: SpaceX Achieves First Super Heavy Booster Catch in Landmark
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Sent: 241020/1749Z 9334@WG3K.#SMD.MD.USA.NOAM LinBPQ6.0.24
SpaceX successfully launched its fifth Starship vehicle on October 13, 2024, marking a milestone with the unprecedented recovery of the Super Heavy booster at the launch site. The mission, dubbed "Flight 5" by SpaceX, lifted off from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, at 8:25 a.m. Eastern time. The launch represented a significant step in SpaceX's long-term goal of achieving rapid reusability for its massive Starship/Super Heavy system.
The key innovation in this test was the planned recovery of the Super Heavy booster, known as Booster 12. After liftoff, the booster performed a series of precise maneuvers to guide itself back to the launch site. The booster was caught by a pair of mechanical arms-often referred to as "chopsticks"-mounted on the launch tower. About seven minutes after liftoff, the arms closed around the top of the booster, just below its grid fins, successfully completing the first-ever "catch" of a returning booster.
[https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/SpaceX-IFT-5-Chop...]https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/SpaceX-IFT-5-Chopsticks-Booster-Catch-scaled.jpg
Final phases of Flight 5 Booster 12 catch as seen from the top of SpaceX's second Starship tower at Starbase. [Credit: @SpaceXhttps://x.com/SpaceX]
SpaceX officials expressed excitement over the achievement, which is critical for the company's vision of rapid reflight capability. The ability to land the booster directly on the launch pad and prepare it for another flight within days or even hours is a key component of SpaceX's goal to make space travel more efficient. "I don't know what to say!" Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX president and chief operating officer, posted on social media along with a video of the landing, capturing the surprise and enthusiasm following the success.
The mission's second stage, Starship, flew on a suborbital trajectory, reaching a peak altitude of 212 kilometers before reentering the atmosphere. Unlike the booster, Starship was not intended to be recovered. It performed a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean, where it exploded several seconds after touchdown. SpaceX noted improvements to Starship's heatshield from previous flights, which allowed it to survive reentry in better condition.
[https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/SpaceX-IFT-5-Boos...]https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/SpaceX-IFT-5-Booster-Mechazilla-Arms.jpg
Super Heavy used its three center Raptor engines to precisely steer into position between the Mechazilla arms. [Credit: SpaceXhttps://x.com/SpaceX]
The launch came just hours after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted SpaceX an updated launch license. The revised license, issued after concerns about environmental impacts, allows SpaceX to conduct the next flight-Flight 6-without needing a new authorization. The changes to the license included adjustments to the areas where debris, such as the interstage ring, might land, and an analysis of sonic boom impacts from the returning Super Heavy booster.
The environmental analysis, a requirement for the revised license, determined that there would be no significant impacts from the mission. However, SpaceX is still required to conduct monitoring and take measures to protect the local wildlife surrounding the Boca Chica site. The FAA granted SpaceX the ability to proceed with Flight 6 under the same conditions, but the company must comply with strict regulations, including submitting monitoring data and environmental reports.
[ANS thanks Jeff Foust, SpaceNews.comhttps://spacenews.com/, for the above information]
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