Ever since its establishment in 2002, Elon Musk’s “SpaceX” has made revolutionary impacts in the realm of space exploration and technological advancement. Some of its most notable accomplishments range from making progress toward a Mars landing, to being the first private company to reach the International Space Station. Most recently, though, the company has managed to execute what was seemingly impossible: the first return and catch of the “Super Heavy Booster” of one of SpaceX’s starships. At first, the impact of this success might seem underwhelming; after all, it was the booster that was returned, so what implications could that have for the rocket?
First, let’s set the scene for the launch. On October 13th, around 6:45 am PST at SpaceX’s Texas launch site, engineers and business employees alike held their breath as an empty 400m tall Starship blasted off into the sky. This launch was special; the company had already tried four times to perform a successful booster return, but had failed. This time, employees felt as if they made the proper adjustments to ensure a successful return. Supervisors watched as the rocket arced, their eyes lighting up as something started to fall back– this was it, they realized— the booster was returning. Slowly but surely, mechanical “hands” attached to the launch tower grasped the booster for the first time in SpaceX history.
This success is revolutionary for two main reasons: a reusable booster could significantly reduce the costs for future repeating launchers and brings the company one step closer to working toward the commercialization of space travel.
To address the first point, the booster serves as the engine providing an extra thrust necessary to boost the rocket upward. Construction of each booster costs around $5 million, resulting in a hefty blow to company resources if they are generated without any limit. A reusable booster, though, would eliminate these unnecessary costs, and allow for more frequent launches. According to AP News, “recycling Falcon boosters has sped up the launch rate and saved SpaceX millions,”potentially allowing for more monetary allocation toward additional advancements.
These frequent launches would also mean that traveling back and forth from space would become exponentially faster. Not only is booster construction expensive, it is not a timely process. If commercialization were to become a reality before booster catching occurred, short-term travel would be incredibly difficult unless a booster reservoir was constructed before. Fortunately, SpaceX’s first step to success eliminates the need for excessive spending and long periods of construction time.
It’s important to note that “booster catching” is only one component of Musk’s grander goal of reusing as many components of the rockets he launches as possible. According to BBC News, “SpaceX wants to eventually catch the Ship–the top part of the vehicle– in the same way.” Unfortunately, this did not happen as intended during their October launch; the pieces they were hoping to retrieve (beside the booster) ended up landing in the Indian Ocean. In the future, SpaceX aims to focus on retrieving more parts of the rocket, maximizing its frugality to prepare for commercialization.
Aside from navigating future advancements, SpaceX will also have to work rapidly against rival private companies to account for errors and successfully perform a second launch. A remarkable competitor is Japan’s Interstellar Technologies, whose goal of reducing the cost of space exploration closely mirrors Musk’s.
Additionally, the company is facing significant backlash from government environmental protection agencies, who are concerned that SpaceX’s constant launches are having a drastic impact on local wildlife. According to CNBC, “SpaceX has also had to pay fines to environmental regulators regarding unauthorized water discharges at its Texas launch site.” SpaceX authority anticipates that finalization of the rocket’s function will reduce the need for consistent launches, and potentially future conflicts with environmental agencies.
Although a seemingly insignificant accomplishment at a surface level, SpaceX’s booster catching has the potential to expand space exploration. Reducing spending and the time-consuming nature of rocket component construction is no small feat, and SpaceX only intends to progress further in its efforts. What we do know, though, is that future developments could quite literally be “out of this world.” Stay updated on SpaceX’s future launch developments on the company website as well as its Satellite Tracker.
