We yet again observed SpaceX’s impressive feat of securing the Super Heavy booster of its Starship rocket for the second time following a seventh test flight. Despite the flawless catch, the triumph was overshadowed by a disheartening announcement – the communication with the spacecraft was lost mere minutes into the flight.
The initial phase of separation from the booster and the subsequent start of the ship’s own rocket engines for ascent went smoothly. However, certain engines seemed to have failed leading to the loss of telemetry signals from the ship. Minutes later, SpaceX confirmed the unfortunate ‘anomaly’ in space with the upper stage during the final stage of its ascent.
Rewinding to October 2024, SpaceX accomplished its pioneer booster “catch”. Here, the launch tower uses articulated arms for capturing the rocket stage mid-air as it slows its descent using rockets. An attempted second catch in November was aborted due to a communication glitch.
The SpaceX rocket launched on Thursday carries several enhancements compared to previous test flights. Aimed at examining various heat tiles on the ship body, these function as shields during re-entry. Moreover, the launch tower has been equipped with radar sensors for superior booster tracking during the catch phase.
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