After launching and delivering the Starship upper stage into a suborbital trajectory heading toward a splashdown in the Indian Ocean, the Super Heavy booster turned around and fired its Raptor engines to return to the launch site. As the booster approached the launch pad it slowed to a near hover and did a horizontal slide maneuver to line itself up with two massive "chopstick" arms on the launch tower, dubbed "Mechazilla." The arms then closed around the booster before the engines shut down.
The rocket launched on the morning of 13October 2024, one day after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a launch permit that had been delayed since early August and after weeks of increasingly public feuding between SpaceX and the FAA.
Development prior to launch
Technical development
During a company all-hands in April 2024, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk expanded briefly on the goals of flight test 5, stating that the first tower landing could occur, depending on B11's virtual landing performance during the fourth flight test.[3] In June, Musk stated the heatshield tiles on the flight 5 vehicle will be twice as strong along with a new ablative protection layer underneath.[4] The process of removing the old Thermal Protection System began on June 11.[5] Multiple tests occurred with the hydraulic arms on the launch tower in preparation for the booster catch.[6]
Vehicle testing ahead of launch
Design revisions on Ship 30 include a new vent on the liquid methane tank and another vent with a new valve design on the liquid oxygen (LOX) tank.[7] Two arrays of small radio antennas were redesigned and relocated near the payload bay instead of the ship's nosecone, with one array concealed beneath the ship's heat shield.[8]
Static fire testing of Ship 30 occurred in early May in preparation for flight 5.[9] This was the last static fire conducted at the now-demolished Suborbital Pad B,[10] as future tests will use the static fire stand at Massey's Test Site.[11] Booster 12 moved to the launch pad on July 9.[12] The booster performed a spin prime test on July 12; it was the first time a spin prime test was performed since Booster 9 in August 2023.[13] A static fire of Booster 12 was completed on July 15 and Ship 30 static fire was conducted on July 26.[14][15] On September 21, S30 was stacked onto B12, with SpaceX claiming that this stack was for Flight 5, "pending regulatory approval".[16]
FAA dispute and environmental concerns
On June 12, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said that no mishap investigation would be required prior to the launch of flight 5.[17] In anticipation of the fifth flight, SpaceX applied for a communications license from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), with a start date of July 19.[18] In early August, SpaceX claimed that both stages were ready to fly for flight test 5.[19]
In September, SpaceX communicated that the FAA had shifted their license approval timeframe from later that month to November, and wrote about issues with the FAA's licensing processes for Starship flight tests.[20][21] SpaceX claimed that government paperwork prevented it from flying Starship quickly to meet commitments to the Artemis program.[21] In a statement to journalists, the FAA reiterated that the license authorizing Starship test flight 4 also allowed for multiple flights of the same vehicle configuration and mission profile. However, because SpaceX chose to modify both in an attempt to "catch" the Super Heavy booster through a return-to-launch-site maneuver, it triggered a more in-depth review because of the changed impact location of the hot stage ring and the sonic boom that would be generated.[22] The delay was described as being 60 days because of the required consultation with the US Fish & Wildlife Service for the sonic boom effects and also 60 days of consultation with the National Marine Fisheries Service for the impact on ocean wildlife. This was repeated by the FAA on October 2.[23] Despite this, the FAA issued a license for the launch on October 12, without offering any explanation as to what prompted the change.[24][25]
Mission summary
Starship during Flight 5Starship booster landing approach
The mission profile for flight test 5 differed from the previous flight. While Ship 30 splashed down in the Indian Ocean, as Ship 29 did, B12 shut off its engines thirteen seconds earlier and returned to the launch site for a catch.[1]
After launching and delivering the Starship upper stage to an altitude of 69 kilometers (43 mi) on a trajectory heading toward space, the Super Heavy booster flipped around and fired its Raptor engines to return to the launch site. As the booster approached the launch pad the launch mount reactivated its water deluge system to prevent destruction. The booster slowed to a near hover and did a horizontal slide maneuver to line itself up with two massive "chopstick" arms on the launch tower, dubbed "Mechazilla." The arms then closed around the booster before the engines shut down.[26][2]
The upper stage Starship spacecraft reached an apogee of 212 km (132 mi) before a controlled water landing in the Indian Ocean. Video showed minor damage to the control flaps during re-entry, but despite this, it splashed down with high accuracy in the water near a pre-positioned buoy that captured footage of the splashdown. Ship 30, which was never intended to be recovered, erupted in a large fireball about 16 seconds after it hit the water.[2]
NASA AdministratorBill Nelson praised the flight stating "Congratulations to SpaceX on its successful booster catch and fifth Starship flight test today!".[27] Retired Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield hailed the flight, declaring that "there was an enormous step forward in human capability today."[28]
Fellow aerospace manufacturers also congratulated SpaceX including Blue Origin,[29]Stoke Space,[30] and Rocket Factory Augsburg which congratulated SpaceX for its "incredible feat of engineering", before noting that at its current pace, the European space industry has "no chance" of catching up to SpaceX.[31] André Loesekrug-Pietri, president of the Joint European Disruptive Initiative, made a similar statement, calling it "a huge slap in the face to the Europeans, who are leaving history".[32]
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