🚀 SpaceX to Catch Both Starship Stages

In November, the company will make its first attempt to catch both Starship stages in midair. The tower’s mechanical “chopsticks” are meant to grab the booster and ship, returning them to the launch site.

The September flight put the ship into orbit and deployed several dozen V3 satellites. One Raptor shut down early, and both stages ended in water after about 3 hours and 2 orbits, instead of 10 hours and 6.

Elon Musk said success is not guaranteed at first, though he considers it more likely than not on the next flight. If it fails, attempts will continue regularly through the end of the year, then more often next year.

📊@tech