What's next for SpaceX Starship after 15th test flight?
What's the story
SpaceX's Starship, the giant rocket, is still a work in progress. The megarocket recently completed its 15th test flight, with the goal of executing a unique twofer. SpaceX aimed to catch both elements of the Starship - its Super Heavy booster and Ship upper stage - using the tower's "chopstick" arms at its Texas-based Starbase site. So, what's next? Let's find out.
Mission outcomes
A historic catch
While SpaceX successfully caught the Ship upper stage, Super Heavy had to divert to a Gulf of Mexico splashdown after a low-fuel alarm.
This was a major achievement for SpaceX as it had never caught a Ship before.
The company has successfully caught Super Heavy on three test flights so far, but catching the upper stage is more complicated due to its higher and faster flight trajectory.
Future goals
Aim for 10,000 Starship launches per year by 2030
SpaceX plans to make the double catch a standard practice on operational Starship missions.
This recovery strategy will allow for quick inspection, refurbishment, and reflight of the megarocket.
Elon Musk has said that SpaceX aims for 10,000 Starship launches per year by 2030.
The ambitious goal is part of SpaceX's plan to build megaconstellations much larger than anything currently in Earth's orbit.
Mission expansion
Artemis program will use Starship as a crewed lunar lander
Most Starship launches in the coming years will be dedicated to building the Starlink V3 and Starmind megaconstellations.
However, it will also be used for deep space missions.
NASA has selected Starship as the first crewed lunar lander for its Artemis program, which aims to establish a base near the Moon's south pole by 2032.
Mission readiness
SpaceX on track to finish Starship's crew cabin
To prepare for the Artemis IV mission, targeted for 2028, SpaceX needs to install a crew cabin and life-support system in Starship.
The company is making good progress on this task.
A recent NASA presentation revealed that SpaceX is on track to complete "Cabin 1," a full-scale ground prototype of Ship's crew cabin, by the end of this year.
Refueling strategy
For deep-space missions, Starship will have to refuel
For deep-space missions, Starship will have to fill up its fuel tanks after launch at a depot that SpaceX will set up in Earth's orbit.
The depot will be filled by "tanker" variants of Starship. However, the exact number of tanker visits required for each deep-space mission is still unclear.
The first refueling test could happen soon as SpaceX needs to prepare Starship for the Artemis IV Moon landing.