SpaceX Starship Makes Progress with Booster Catch, Loses Ship in Anomaly

SpaceX Starship Makes Progress with Booster Catch, Loses Ship in Anomaly

SpaceX successfully achieved its second Starship booster catch on Thursday, January 16, 2025, during the seventh test flight of the Starship system. This marked a significant milestone in the company's ambitious goal of developing a fully reusable launch vehicle for deep space exploration. However, the success was bittersweet, as the upper stage Starship spacecraft was lost due to an anomaly during its ascent to orbit. Successful Booster Catch The accomplishment lies in SpaceX's ability to snag the massive Super Heavy booster rocket with articulated arms on the launch tower as it descended back to Earth after launch. This feat, first achieved in October 2024, demonstrates the viability of SpaceX's launch tower design for booster recovery. Reusing boosters is crucial for reducing launch costs and increasing the flight rate of Starship. Starship Anomaly and Loss Following a successful separation from the booster, the Starship upper stage ignited its engines to propel itself towa…