SpaceX will try catching Starship and its booster for first time, Musk says

Andrew J. Hawkins is transportation editor with 10+ years of experience who covers EVs, public transportation, and aviation. His work has appeared in The New York Daily News and City & State.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said the company would attempt to catch Starship and its booster next month, with the goal of recovering the entire orbital launch system for the first time. If successful, Musk said, the attempt would mark the first time in history an orbital launch vehicle has been fully recovered.

“This is a profound technology milestone in the history of civilization consciousness,” he said during the company’s third quarter earnings report Tuesday.

But he also allowed for the possibility of a failure. “Success is not guaranteed on these first flights, but I’d say it’s more likely than not that this succeeds next flight,” Musk said. “And if not, we have a steady stream of Starship...

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