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Amazing. You'd think even the do-gooder bureaucracy would relent after a feat like this, but no doubt they'll try to delay and obstruct the next launch as much as possible, too.

(Oct 13, 2024 01:37 PM)Yazata Wrote: [ -> ]Perfect launch!

Stage separation

Nominal orbit insertion

AND PERFECT BOOSTER CATCH!!!!

https://x.com/mrsiipa/status/1845467680695865760

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Ship Reentry beginning

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Getting some burn thru at the flap hinge

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It's down in the Indian ocean

Performed landing burn but exploded after it struck the water

There appears to be a shipborne camera at the landing point

Video of it making a vertical landing in the water, then exploding

https://x.com/SpaceNosey/status/1845458465549889845

On flight 4 the booster exploded after water touchdown too. Perhaps running the engines while submerged causes overpressures that makes them burst.

Better video of S30's landing in the Indian ocean west of Australia

(SpaceX video with comments from nasaspaceflight.com commentators)

https://x.com/NASASpaceflight/status/184...0696212505

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Elon says

"Just inspected the Starship booster, which the arms have now placed back in its launch mount. Looks great!

A few outer engine nozzles are warped from heating & some other minor issues, but these are easily addressed.

Starship is designed to achieve reflight of its rocket"

https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1845633730154545465

Photo with the warped engine bells marked

Coming in hot...

(by Kimbal Musk, Elon's brother)

https://x.com/SpaceNosey/status/1845873948317126982

Closeup tower view of the catch

From SpaceX - this is extraordinary video!! Everybody said that Elon's tower catch brainstorm was crazy... well, all I can say is damn! (This thing being plucked out of the air is the size of an office tower, about 20 stories tall!)

https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1845922924315938922

Departing:

(Photo by Raptor Roost)



Returning:

(from SpaceX)

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And SpaceX workers partied late into the night atop the Megabay-2

https://x.com/VickiCocks15/status/1845815079930884357

That's amazing.

Onboard video from the booster showing a booster load point contacting the landing rail on a catch arm

https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1845966756579627167

B12's triumphant return to the build area after its flight to space pushing S30 uphill into orbit, and its return to the launch site culminating in an absolutely insane midair catch by giant mechanical arms.

The really moving part was how hundreds of SpaceX workers gathered to welcome their baby back!

(Watch this video by Anthony Gomez of Rocket Ranch in full-screen for a sense of scale.)

https://x.com/AnthonyFGomez/status/1846276114328834351

(Oct 16, 2024 09:22 PM)Yazata Wrote: [ -> ]B12's triumphant return to the build area after its flight to space pushing S30 uphill into orbit, and its return to the launch site culminating in an absolutely insane midair catch by giant mechanical arms.

The really moving part was how hundreds of SpaceX workers gathered to welcome their baby back!

(Watch this video by Anthony Gomez of Rocket Ranch in full-screen for a sense of scale.)

https://x.com/AnthonyFGomez/status/1846276114328834351

Finally, a Super Heavy booster gets to be reused. Now, if only a Starship could do something besides being scrapped or blowing up in the ocean.

Photo by Steve Jurvetson (friend of Elon and member of the SpaceX board)

Great video of the catch made by Mexican space-enthusiasts from across the mouth of the Rio Grande. That's the closest spot that people can get to the launch site on flight days, since the safety exclusion zone is only on the US side.

https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1846421607394271441

Crew from Mexican internet space channel Frontera Espacial streaming flight 5 in Spanish. I believe that they are on the US side since they all seem to be sporting SpaceX media passes.



nsNS

SpaceX had a camera buoy stationed at S30's intended Indian Ocean landing position west of Australia. And they have just released video of 30's landing burn as captured by that camera. The landing was at night, and it does appear to have been on target. The video starts with the crazy-Elon flip, then 30 pretty clearly executes a soft vertical landing in the water.

https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1847368836947071496

Lars Blackmore likes it! (He should, he was in charge of writing the landing software.)

https://x.com/larsblackmore/status/1847371307144663135

Aviation Week likes the (equally crazy-Elon) booster catch!