Following the successful capture of its Super Heavy booster using a launch tower “chopstick” arm, SpaceX aims to capture its Starship upper stage in 2025 using similar technology. This cutting-edge maneuver, tested during the fifth Starship test flight on October 13, 2024, represents a significant milestone in SpaceX’s vision for fully reusable space travel systems.
The “Chopstick” Arm: A Revolutionary Approach to Rocket Recovery
During the October 13 test, about seven minutes after launch, the Super Heavy booster returned and was secured by the launch tower’s robotic arm, affectionately called the “chopstick.” This technique is critical to SpaceX’s plans for fully reusable rockets, allowing for swift reusability, cutting down on launch costs, and reducing turnaround times.
What’s Next: Capturing the Starship Upper Stage
In a post on social media platform X, SpaceX founder Elon Musk revealed plans to capture the Starship upper stage — a 50-meter-tall structure — in early 2025. SpaceX has been developing the Starship rocket to handle various missions, including trips to Mars and the Moon, and capturing the upper stage would enable streamlined recovery for missions closer to Earth, such as satellite launches and Starship refueling missions.
Practical Applications for the “Chopstick” Capture System
While SpaceX intends to use the capture method for Earth-orbit missions, Starship’s lunar and Martian missions will likely still require traditional landing boosters for surface landings. For Earth-based missions, capturing the upper stage on the launch pad can allow Starship to return from orbit swiftly, maximizing its potential for missions like building out the Starlink broadband satellite network and conducting orbital refueling operations for deep-space journeys.
The Starship System: SpaceX’s Mars Mission Solution
Starship’s design is a two-part system: the Super Heavy booster provides the initial lift-off and returns to Earth, while the Starship upper stage propels crew and cargo toward their final destination. Both components are fully reusable, making this design integral to SpaceX’s Mars ambitions. Musk envisions Starship as the first spacecraft capable of transporting large numbers of humans to Mars, a key part of his goal to make humanity a “multi-planetary species.”
Starship’s Role in NASA’s Artemis Moon Program
NASA has also partnered with SpaceX, selecting Starship to transport astronauts to the lunar surface as part of its Artemis program. To reach the Moon, Starship will enter low-Earth orbit for refueling before proceeding to the Moon’s surface. NASA’s current timeline anticipates the first lunar landing as early as 2026, with Starship playing a critical role in these future missions.
SpaceX’s innovative “chopstick” approach reflects Musk’s commitment to technological breakthroughs that redefine the possibilities of space exploration, paving the way for more ambitious missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
