SpaceX, the aerospace company founded by Elon Musk, has successfully recovered pieces of its Starship megarocket from the sea following the fourth test flight of the vehicle on June 6, 2024. Elon Musk shared a photo of the recovered rocket hardware on X on September 22, 2024, showcasing the mangled metal being lifted out of the ocean.
Development of Starship
The Starship megarocket is being developed by SpaceX with the goal of enabling human exploration of the moon, Mars, and beyond. This innovative spacecraft consists of two main components – the Super Heavy first-stage booster and the upper-stage spacecraft known as Starship, or Ship. Both stages are constructed from stainless steel and are designed to be fully reusable, powered by SpaceX’s new Raptor engines.
Starship, standing at an impressive 400 feet tall when fully stacked, has already completed four test flights from SpaceX’s Starbase site in South Texas. These test missions took place in April and November of 2023, as well as March and June of 2024, showcasing the capabilities of the spacecraft in various flight scenarios.
Recovery Operation
The photo shared by Elon Musk on X depicts the recovered Super Heavy first-stage booster that flew on the June test flight. Despite the success of the mission, which saw Ship reach orbital velocity and both stages survive reentry, the splashdown into the ocean caused some damage to the hardware. The image shows the mangled metal with 14 Raptors attached, raising questions about the fate of the remaining engines and SpaceX’s motivations for salvaging the booster from the sea.
While the exact reason for recovering the hardware remains unclear, speculation suggests that SpaceX may be conducting research to glean additional knowledge from the engines or to prevent them from falling into the hands of rival companies or other countries. The recovery operation in the Gulf of Mexico attracted the attention of independent filmmakers who chartered a boat to observe the process, highlighting the public interest in SpaceX’s endeavors.
Upcoming Test Flight
SpaceX is now preparing for Starship’s fifth test flight, which has been ready to fly since early August but awaits approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA is taking additional time to assess the launch’s environmental impact and review modifications made by SpaceX following the fourth test flight. The agency is expected to grant approval by late November, allowing SpaceX to proceed with the upcoming mission.
As SpaceX continues to push the boundaries of space exploration with its innovative Starship program, the recovery of the Super Heavy booster from the sea serves as a testament to the company’s commitment to advancing the capabilities of reusable spacecraft. With each test flight, SpaceX gains valuable insights into the performance of its vehicles, paving the way for future missions to the moon, Mars, and beyond.