SpaceX is preparing to launch the 14th test flight of its Starship rocket this month, a mission that will include the first attempt to catch the upper stage with mechanical arms on the launch tower. CEO Elon Musk has described the test as an important milestone for the reusable rocket system.
The upcoming flight follows the 13th test in July, during which the Starship upper stage demonstrated a controlled landing capability in the Indian Ocean, performing better than in previous attempts. Musk had earlier expressed the company's ambition to recover the upper stage on land this year, noting that the 14th mission could be the one to achieve this, depending on how the 13th flight went.
The Super Heavy booster landed in the Gulf of Mexico in each of the previous five Starship tests.
If the mechanical arms successfully catch the upper stage on the 14th test, the Super Heavy booster will still land in the Gulf of Mexico, as it has in the last five tests. The upper stage's full orbit of Earth takes approximately 90 minutes.
The long-term goal is for both Starship stages to be recovered by the launch tower. First, the Super Heavy booster lands and is moved aside; then, after completing its orbit, the Starship upper stage is caught by the same mechanical arms.
With regulatory approvals, the first upper-stage catch attempt will be on the 14th flight.
Musk also said he expects Starship launch frequency to increase rapidly. He predicted that SpaceX could achieve at least one Starship flight per day, or even more, within a year.
