SpaceX Slaps & Whacks Rocket Booster part for Starship Flight 5 Tower Catch test

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As it prepares for the fifth Starship test flight, SpaceX is testing the launch tower at its facilities in Boca Chica for the crucial tower catch scheduled for the next test. The previous Starship test was a success, as both the booster and ship successfully splashed into the water, and immediately after the test, Elon Musk confirmed that the next test would raise the stakes even further. SpaceX’s Starship recovery profile requires catching the first stage booster with the launch tower, and right now the company is testing the tower arms by squeezing them around a test article.

SpaceX tests launch tower sticks in Texas ahead of the spaceship’s fifth test flight

Capturing the booster with the tower instead of landing it on a remote drone ship is key to SpaceX’s goal of making Starship reusable quickly. This is because if the rocket is “caught” on the pad, the time needed to refuel it and make other minor repairs decreases, allowing SpaceX to launch Starship in rapid succession. A fast cadence is essential for the rocket’s main missions, as flights to the moon and Mars require launching fuel tankers before launching a crewed or cargo flight to refuel in space.

Since no other rocket company or government organization has yet caught a rocket on the pad, SpaceX must first test the technologies before it can deploy them on critical operational missions. On this front, June has seen the company roll the front part of the booster onto the pad to test the tower’s ‘chopsticks’. These are giant arms that also lift the Starship from the second stage onto the booster for test flights and operations, and footage from local media outlet NASASpaceflight shows SpaceX appears to be refining its chopsticks operation ahead of the fifth Starship test flight.

SpaceX's Starship rockets for fourth test flight
The second stage Starship makes its way to the top of the first stage for a full dress rehearsal of the IFT-4 mission in Boca Chica, Texas. Image: SpaceX

During today’s testing, the launch pad chopsticks were closed and opened several times, with the Super Heavy booster placed between them. Judging from the footage, SpaceX appears to be simulating a test environment in which the rocket booster returns to the launch tower for capture. However, since it had only just begun testing the tower for the catch, the chopsticks hit the booster segment several times as they slowly closed around it.

A successful tower capture during the fifth Starship flight would be a notable achievement for SpaceX, as it would make the attempt a success on the first try. Likewise, in the worst case scenario, the tower could be destroyed or damaged if the chopsticks fail to catch the rocket or if they damage it and rupture the tanks. Because the catch will be reserved for the end of the flight, the rocket would only need to have reserve fuel for landing, and statements from Musk also shared that the landing profile involves Super Heavy testing its systems away from the tower before it approaches. for the catch.

Even if the capture attempt on Flight 5 fails, SpaceX will get enough data to make another test attempt. The primary purpose of the Starship tests is to collect data, and experiences from flights one through three allowed SpaceX to successfully land them in the water during flight 4.

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