Musk fumbles the timetable for first Starship catch

Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, has adjusted the timetable for the first attempt to catch a returning Starship, indicating it may now occur several months down the line. Musk clarified this on his social media platform, X, stating, "We will probably catch the ship with the tower in a few months." He added that a waiting tower at the splashdown location could have retrieved the ship if it had been present last month.

During SpaceX's first earnings call as a public company, Musk was more optimistic, suggesting the ship could be caught as soon as the next flight. However, it appears this attempt has since been abandoned. Musk also predicted the first reflight of Starship would occur near the end of the year or early next year, a timeline that suggests the need for flexibility given his track record of hitting Starship targets.

This post came after a static-fire test of a single Raptor engine on Starship, which simulated the deorbit burn for upcoming orbital missions. The previous Starship test flight, where the Super Heavy booster splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico and the upper stage settled into the Indian Ocean and survived, was not initially anticipated and required towing back to port.

Starship is expected to reach operational orbit on its next test flight, potentially deploying Starlink V3 satellites. While catching Starship is not mandatory for the Artemis III demonstration, which is planned for 2027, a more frequent launch cadence will become crucial as SpaceX prepares for subsequent missions, including the multiple launches required to fuel a lunar lander in orbit.

Musk's latest comments highlight the frequent slip-ups in Starship milestones, a factor central to the economics SpaceX has presented to investors since its IPO.