It Happened! SpaceX even Tested Starship Catching on Pad, Ready for Full Reusability...

SpaceX just pulled off a test we haven't seen before at the Starbase launch pad. For the first time, a Starship was brought together with the chopsticks in a configuration that looks remarkably similar to what we could see during a future ship catch. And that could be a very big deal. Because this may be our first real glimpse of what SpaceX is preparing to do in the next few months. So, how did this unprecedented test actually go? What does it reveal about Starship's first catch attempt? And with Flight 14 still ahead of us, could SpaceX really be preparing for another launch almost immediately afterward? Let's find out on today's episode. For longtime Starship followers, S42's movements have been unusually unpredictable. After an unexpected trip to the Massey test site, it arrived at the launch site ahead of Ship 41 and was quickly put into a new series of tests. S42 reached the pad on the evening of September 10th and was secured by the chopsticks. By the next morning, SpaceX began testing the ship's interaction with the catching system. Around 11am, the chopsticks lifted S42 off the ground and kept it suspended for several hours while making small adjustments. By around 8pm, S42 was lowered back onto its transport stand. Keeping the ship suspended for so long likely allowed SpaceX to test how the chopsticks handled the roughly 100-ton vehicle and the loads involved in supporting it. But the bigger question was how S42's catch points and landing rails would interact with the tower hardware. In other words, SpaceX wasn't just testing whether the chopsticks could lift ship, it was testing whether the entire ship-to-tower interface worked as intended. The following morning, the second test began. This time, the chopsticks lifted S42 much closer to the top of the tower, rotated it, and lowered it slightly so the ship QD could interact with its docking point. That allowed SpaceX to rehearse another critical part of a future recovery sequence, including how the vehicle could eventually be stabilized, serviced, and returned to its stand after landing. By the end of September 12th, the test campaign was complete and S42 was released from the chopsticks and transported back to Megabay 2. It can now move into its pre-engine checks and static fire preparations. And if testing continues without major problems, S42 could remain on track for a potential flight 15 attempt in October. That would make these tests more than just another ground operation. They could be preparing SpaceX for something we've never seen before, catching a starship from the sky. But what matters most is that the possibility of catching ship is becoming clearer than ever. The recent S42 chopsticks test could be one of the biggest clues yet that SpaceX is moving toward its first attempt to catch a starship upper stage. And if everything goes according to plan, that attempt could come as early as flight 15. If you think SpaceX could really pull it off, let me know in the comments by saying catch 15. So why is this possibility becoming more realistic? Because these are no longer just preliminary tests or theoretical simulations. SpaceX has now been testing the actual spacecraft intended for flight 15 in a configuration designed to replicate the conditions of a future ship catch. During the recent test, the team lifted ship 42 into a simulated catching position, allowing the spacecraft to hang freely without the usual stabilizer arms. They then used pushers to move the spacecraft from that simulated catch position back toward its standard lift position. After that, S42 was raised toward the top of the tower and carefully aligned with the ship QD arms. The team repeatedly connected and disconnected the hardware while checking how everything behaved. On the surface, it may have looked like SpaceX was simply moving a giant stainless steel spacecraft around, but there was a lot more happening underneath. The goal was to collect real-world data on alignment, structural loads, mechanical movement, and automated control. All of those factors will eventually be critical if the CHOP-6 are going to embrace a returning spacecraft traveling at extremely high speed. And catching ship is considerably more difficult than catching Super Heavy. Ship is larger, its aerodynamic shape is different, its center of gravity is different, and the interaction between the vehicle and the catching mechanism will require extremely precise positioning. The spacecraft also has to arrive at the correct speed, orientation, and trajectory while the tower positions the CHOP-6 at exactly the right moment. That's a lot of variables to get right simultaneously. SpaceX has already demonstrated multiple successful Super Heavy catches, but ship remains uncharted territory. This isn't just a test of the CHOP-6. It's also a test of the tower hardware, sensors, control systems, automation software, and safety procedures working together around the actual spacecraft that could eventually perform the mission. And the more realistic the rehearsal becomes, the more useful the data. That could reduce uncertainty. It could help SpaceX refine the landing trajectory, determine the optimal approach point, and better understand how the spacecraft will interact with the catching mechanism. It also gives the company something it didn't have before, data from the exact type of vehicle intended to perform the future catch. That doesn't mean SpaceX is guaranteed to attempt a catch on Flight 15. Far from it, there are still several major hurdles to clear first, and the biggest one has a very simple name, Flight 14. Before S42 gets its opportunity, SpaceX needs to demonstrate that the current Starship configuration can complete a much more fundamental mission. Flight 14 needs to launch successfully. It needs to reach orbit. It needs to perform its planned operations. And most importantly, ship needs to survive reentry and return to the designated landing area. The results of that mission could have a huge influence on what happens next. If Flight 14 performs extremely well, SpaceX could gain significantly more confidence in attempting a ship catch on a future flight. If something goes seriously wrong, however, the timeline could change immediately. SpaceX would have to analyze the failure, identify the cause, modify the hardware or software if necessary, and potentially repeat additional tests before attempting something as ambitious as a catch. So, Flight 14 isn't just another Starship mission standing between us and Flight 15. It could effectively determine how quickly SpaceX is willing to take the next major step. And that's what makes the current testing so interesting. SpaceX isn't waiting until after Flight 14 to start thinking about the future. The company is already putting Flight 15 hardware through increasingly sophisticated tests. That's a sign that the development process is moving forward on multiple tracks at once. The launch system is being prepared, the vehicles are being tested, and the catching hardware is being exercised, and the data from previous flights is feeding directly into the next generation of missions. We've also seen Starship's ability to survive increasingly demanding flights improve over time. Flight 13 was particularly important because S40 survived its return to Earth and completed a remarkably successful soft splashdown. That doesn't prove ship is ready to be caught by the tower, but it does provide valuable information about the spacecraft's performance during reentry and landing. Put all these pieces together and the possibility of a ship catch no longer feels like some distant science fiction scenario. It's becoming a real engineering objective. The question is no longer simply whether SpaceX can theoretically catch a ship. The question is when the company will decide it has enough data and enough confidence to actually try. And Flight 15 could potentially be that moment. But first, we need Flight 14. That's the mission that could open the door. Even without a catch attempt, Flight 14 has plenty of reasons to watch closely. Breaching orbit, deploying its payload, surviving reentry, and demonstrating reliable vehicle operations would already represent a major milestone for Starship. And if it succeeds, the path toward the next breakthrough becomes much clearer. Because after years of watching Starship evolve, we may finally be approaching the moment when the Chopsticks aren't just catching boosters anymore. They could be preparing to catch the ship itself. So keep an eye on Flight 14. Because the most important thing it catches might not be the spacecraft, it could be the future of Starship. Catching the second stage of a rocket would have implications far beyond SpaceX. If SpaceX successfully catches and reuses ship by the end of 2026, it would mark the first time in aerospace history that an orbital rocket's second stage has been recovered, intact, and flown again. And that wouldn't just be another Starship milestone. It could push the entire launch industry into a new phase of the reusability race. Today, most heavy rockets are still expendable, and the costs are enormous. NASA's SLS, for example, costs roughly $2.2 to $2.5 billion per launch for the rocket alone, and the total can exceed $4 billion when Orion and ground systems are included. After each mission, the expensive RS-25 engines, massive core stage, and solid rocket boosters are discarded. That makes high launch rates extremely difficult and puts enormous pressure on the long-term sustainability of programs like Artemis. NASA wants to move toward more sustainable launch architectures, but there's still a long way to go. Meanwhile, other companies are pushing toward reusability, but none has yet achieved full to full two-stage reuse. Blue Origin's New Glenn has successfully recovered its first stage by landing it on a barge, but its second stage remains expendable. Rocket Lapse Neutron is being designed to recover its entire first stage, including the attached Hungry Hippo fairing, while its second stage remains optimized for single use. China is also pursuing booster reuse, with Long March 10B recently demonstrating a unique ship-based recovery system using hooks and a tensioned net, but once again the upper stage remains expendable. That's the key distinction. Almost every reusable rocket effort today is focused on the first stage because it's the most expensive part of the vehicle and the easiest to recover. Starship is attempting something much more difficult. SpaceX wants both Super Heavy and ship to return, be recovered, inspected, and eventually launched again. That's what makes Starship's architecture fundamentally different. If SpaceX can actually achieve that level of reusability, the economics of launch could change dramatically. Instead of manufacturing a new rocket for every mission, SpaceX could operate a fleet of reusable vehicles with launch costs increasingly dominated by propellant, inspection, maintenance, and operations rather than new hardware. SpaceX has talked about eventually bringing Starship launch costs down toward $10 million or less while carrying more than 100 tons to low Earth orbit. If those targets are achieved, the cost per kilogram could fall dramatically below today's launch prices, and lower costs would create another advantage, launch frequency. Instead of waiting for factories to produce new rockets, SpaceX could maintain a fleet of vehicles capable of flying repeatedly. That could mean dozens or eventually hundreds of launches per year. Such a capability would support everything from the continued expansion of Starlink to large-scale orbital infrastructure, lunar bases, and eventually human missions to Mars. Competitors would have little choice but to respond. If SpaceX proves that a reusable second stage is practical, partially reusable rockets may suddenly look far less competitive. That's why catching ship matters so much. It wouldn't simply prove that Starship can return safely. It would demonstrate that full orbital vehicle reusability is technically achievable. And that could establish a completely new benchmark for the industry. But there is an important distinction between proving the technology and turning it into routine operations. Catching ship once would be historic. Catching it repeatedly, rapidly refurbishing it, and sending the same vehicle back into space would be the real revolution. That's the part SpaceX ultimately needs to demonstrate. And this is why the period ahead could be far more important than it initially appears. Starship is approaching the point where the final pieces of its reusability architecture are beginning to come together. The launch system is already being tested. The chopsticks have caught Super Heavy. And now SpaceX is putting an actual ship through increasingly realistic catch-related tests. The pieces are coming together. Now we just have to wait and see whether SpaceX can turn those tests into the breakthrough everyone is waiting for. Because when the chopsticks finally catch a returning ship, they won't just be catching a rocket. They could be catching the future of reusable spaceflight. In any case, folks, thanks for watching and we'll see you in the next one.