SpaceX Flight 6: Booster Lands in Water Instead of Tower Catch

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SpaceX Omits Tower Catch in Starship Flight 6

In a notable shift, SpaceX opted to forego the tower catch for its sixth Starship flight on a mission that launched on schedule at 4 PM local time in Texas. Following their successful recovery of the Super Heavy booster during Flight 5, the company had set ambitious expectations for this latest flight, as suggested by Elon Musk’s comments prior to liftoff regarding an attempt to capture the booster under more challenging conditions.

However, as the booster began its descent, SpaceX’s teams indicated via communication channels that the vehicle would instead be directed to a splashdown in the ocean.

Understanding SpaceX’s Commitment Criteria

SpaceX has established stringent criteria for a successful tower catch of the Super Heavy booster. These criteria involve a thorough assessment of both the booster and the launch tower during stage separation and prior to the boost-back maneuver, ensuring there are no safety risks involved. During today’s flight, as the first and second stages of the Starship separated, operational teams confirmed they were prepared for a tower catch.

Dan Huot, a representative from SpaceX, relayed via livestream: “We heard the tower is go for catch. The return flag is set for true.”This declaration suggested that all systems were nominal for proceeding with the procedure.

As part of the pre-landing maneuvers, the Super Heavy booster re-ignited its center core engines for an attempted controlled landing. During this critical phase, SpaceX met to evaluate the conditions surrounding the booster’s approach to the tower, weighing the feasibility of making another mid-air catch.

Approximately four minutes after launch—and just prior to the landing burn phase—SpaceX operations communicated a “booster offshore divert.”This decision indicated a shift away from the catch attempt, reflecting the increased risk associated with capturing the 232-foot rocket mid-flight.

Rocket expert Kate Tice further clarified: “We did hear the call-out for boost back divert. Unfortunately, that means we are no-go for the catch. As before, both the tower and the vehicle are continually assessed against our safety criteria, and we did not meet those conditions today.”

Ultimately, SpaceX successfully executed the splashdown of the booster into the Gulf of Texas. The landing was executed flawlessly as the Super Heavy descended vertically and made contact with the water, leading to a dramatic fireball upon impact while remaining largely intact as it floated on the surface.

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